The Rage Inherent Trilogy
by Rob Sears
Summary: From flesh to metal. After the Normandy is lost to the void, Shepard finds himself embroiled in a situation that is beyond his control. Trapped inside a nightmare, he must regain control of his life before ancient and new evils threaten to undo everything that he has done. If they are to achieve victory, Shepard must fight for answers, for life, for love... (Spans ME2 to ME3)
1. Prologue: Torn Apart (Part I Start)

**A/N: All right, so I lied about initially posting three one-shots before working on something different, but you know what? I think that this is a better alternative. **

**Based on a lack of interest on my end, I decided to push my schedule forward in developing a new series in which there will definitely be at least two entries.**

**Without further ado, I present the first installment in the Rage Inherent series: _Metal_.**

* * *

"_When humans first ventured into the great void that we know as space, it is safe to say that we had no imagination at the time. We could never conceive of a civilization other than ours as rich and diverse that lay beyond those stars. That, to me, is a sad thought."_

-Unknown, 2182 CE

* * *

Compared to the rest of its peers, the star Amada was considered relatively unremarkable. A class F star, approximately the size of Sol, not much thought or speculation was given to the system other than the fact that the name had coincidental ties to a particular Egyptian temple.

One of the four planets that orbited this star, Alchera, was nothing more than a lump of dirt and ice. Considered uninhabitable due to its composition of ammonia and methane which passed for its atmosphere, no such attempt had been made to colonize it. Other than a few sparse caches of natural resources, there was absolutely no reason why anyone would want to come in contact with the planet.

Contrary to that logic, the planet suddenly found itself host to a guest as a small metal form winked into existence, its FTL drives flaring down. The ship could have passed for a luxury yacht, given its relative size but it was a case of more than meets the eye.

The Normandy SR-1 was a prototype for the Earth Systems Alliance, cutting edge technology combined with a turian design to create the most advanced ship in the galaxy. The condensed drive core meant that it had the capacity to completely mask its heat emissions, rendering it effectively invisible to enemy craft, unless they looked out the window. For a few months, the Normandy had barely registered on anyone's radar. To them it was just another ship docking at the Citadel, another toy for the humans to fumble with while the rest of the galaxy moved on with the important topics of the day.

Not so any longer. The ship was now a symbol for any race who fell under the Council's banner. The flagship of the human fleet, it played a key role in during the Attack on the Citadel a few months back. People were still talking about it among the Citadel's many levels_. "How could the geth attack us here?" "I thought we were safe?"_

The casual obliviousness only caused people to panic, and in their panic, they shifted the blame to a group who had only played a minor role in the event. The geth, a race of sentient machines, were not the true masterminds behind the plot. Rather, it was a rogue Spectre named Saren Arterius, who in turn followed another master, Sovereign, a Reaper.

Because Reapers share similarities with geth ships, it was easy for the Council to spin the traumatic series of events on the geth. It was not like they had a say in the matter, they were public enemy number one for whatever good locking them behind the Perseus Veil did. Still, you don't kick your master race off their homeworld and aggressively attack any intruder who chances upon your home and expect no hard feelings to arise.

In this case, the geth were merely scapegoats while the rest of the galaxy tried to assure themselves that what happened was an isolated incident, a freak accident. A Spectre may have tried to take over the Citadel, sure, but rogue geth programs running amok were enough to cause anyone to panic. To appease the worry of the mob, the Council soon appointed their savior, Commander John Shepard, the man who killed Saren in a final showdown, the task of wiping the geth infestation from all corners of the galaxy.

It was considered mundane work. The crew of the Normandy knew all along what really transpired and the fact that their discovery was being swept under the rug secretly infuriated them. They knew that Sovereign was a member of a sentient machine race called Reapers and that more were on the way to harvest everything in the galaxy. But, in some part of their mind, the Council did have a point. The geth were more of a direct threat and since they knew of no other Reaper that they could destroy, they would just have to settle for a few geth bases.

Which is why they were now orbiting around Alchera, mindlessly scanning the planet for any signs of geth activity. Despite the fact that what they did was dangerous work, everyone on board the Normandy was fatigued at the menial labor. They had become so accustomed to the routine of shooting geth that it offered no challenge anymore. It only got interesting when they stumbled across a wrecked ship, or a pirate hideout. Geth were too predictable to eliminate, too easy.

The Normandy righted itself as it prepared to scan more of the area. The intel reported that at least four ships had gone missing in the system, so there was some evidence of activity here. What disappointed the crew the most was a false trail, a dead end. When you spend the last few hours preparing for a mission only to find out that there was no objective, it tends to grate on your morale a bit. The crew needed to vent, they needed something to shoot at.

As the Normandy readjusted its scanner, a brilliant beam of yellow light seemed to materialize from the star Amada itself. Before anyone could react, the light touched the right wing of the craft, demolishing it, and sending it spiraling helplessly out of control. Another beam raked across the hull, breaching it and introduced its passengers to the icy cold embrace of space itself. The originator of the yellow light finally came into view as its massive form blocked out the sun. Positioning itself above the stricken Normandy, it continued to rain down its assault, furiously trying to blot out its existence.

* * *

The deck rumbled as it took another hit. The crew was scrambling all over the place, knocking into each other in their panic. To Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, the pandemonium was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. She had witnessed lockdowns aboard the flotilla before but nothing as serious as a crashing ship. Her heart pounded in her chest, she was deathly afraid.

Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko rushed past her, yelling at her to get to the escape pod but she wasn't listening. She needed to get to the commander, her captain.

When she had first met the human, Tali had been taken in by his charismatic attitude and courtesy whenever he addressed her. Not to mention that the first time they had laid eyes on one another was when he rescued her from a botched information deal by thugs paid off by Saren Arterius. When the quarian proved valuable to his mission, she had desperately asked to come along, perhaps for more reasons than she initially let on but that was beside the point. There was a duty expected of her and she had intended to follow it through.

And what an adventure it turned out to be! Flying in the sleekest, the most technologically advanced ship she had ever seen, or perhaps would ever see, seeing a plethora of new worlds beyond her wildest dreams, partaking in several brutal firefights, the list went on. Her accomplishments eventually numbered so high that she had trouble remembering all of them sometimes. The speed at which her life had turned around had left her dizzy and breathless, and it was because of this human that made it all possible.

It was this human who she now ran to, currently exiting the main battery. His helmet was on and she couldn't see his face but she could tell exactly who he was from the way he walked (a skill that came with being a quarian) and the N7 armor he wore, a symbol of his advanced training. She stopped in front of him, panting, eyes shining through her purple visor as the ship rocked for the umpteenth time.

"Shepard!" she gasped. "There you are! I was beginning to wo-"

She stumbled as the Normandy bumped as their relentless pursuer continued to fire. Commander Shepard thrust out a hand to steady Tali before she went crashing into a bulkhead.

"No need to worry, Tali," he acknowledged. "Just sent out the comm buoy. All we can do now is wait."

"You really think the Alliance will come for us?"

The human came to put a hand on her shoulder, a comforting gesture that she found soothing, but only when he did it for some reason, "They won't abandon us, if that's what you're thinking. Did everyone else get to safety?"

Tali shook her head, "No, Joker is still aboard."

"Damn it," Shepard grimaced. "Then I'll go get him out."

"Not alone you're not, Shepard. I'm not leaving without you."

Was there something beyond the quarian's statement that gave it that hard edge? There was definitely a meaning other than loyalty behind her assertiveness. She had definitely changed from being just a meek pilgrim. She was now her own independent person and her determination only served to give whatever suspicious he had a definite conclusiveness.

There was no time to reflect on it now, "Joker will keep sitting in that damn chair until the thing blows up around him. I _have_ to get him out, Tali. It's way too dangerous for you to come along."

"Are you deliberately _trying_ to go down with the ship?"

"I'll be fine, Tali. Just focus on getting yourself to safety, okay?"

Her head hung as she steadied herself, "Just…" Shaking her head, she started to back away, "You better be right out."

Shepard almost laughed at the fact that she practically gave him an order but he reasoned that the attitudes of people changes in frightening situations. Surely this qualified. Giving her arm a gentle pat, he started to run towards the staircase at the far end of the ship as Tali wheeled down the hall towards the escape pods.

Shepard threw up an arm to protect him from the gout of flame that completely engulfed the table in the mess. The ship was rapidly falling apart. He needed to get to the cockpit, soon.

The left staircase was blocked by debris so he ran up the right, taking the stairs two at a time until he came to the door which barred the entrance. Standing perfectly still for a moment as the door cycled, he suddenly felt a tug at his body as the entire outside world now became silent as the air was sucked out of the deck. The reason for this disruption was the fact that there was now an enormous hole where the roof should be. The CIC was in complete disarray, random objects floated aimlessly. Shepard's boots had been magnetized so that he wouldn't float away but he still found the lack of gravity disorienting.

Pushing aside a floating chair, he could see the cockpit had been environmentally sealed to avoid the deadly vacuum. Joker had crammed his trademark pilot's cap into a helmet so that his lungs would not implode from the sudden absence of oxygen. The man was frantically tapping away at the controls, even as they sparked in his face. Shepard finally reached the area where gravity was still active, deactivating his mag boots for quicker action, and tapped Joker on the shoulder. The pilot turned and saw the intimidating sight of Shepard in his armor and did a double take.

"Joker!" Shepard yelled. "Come on!"

The man emphatically shook his head, "No! I'm not abandoning the Normandy, Shepard! I can still save her."

Shepard leaned over and grabbed the neck of his shirt, "Look around you! The Normandy's gone but _you're_ not going with it. It may not feel like the right thing but we need you, Joker. Now unstrap yourself and let's get out of here."

Joker wilted in his seat, still torn at the thought of leaving the ship that he had come to love. "Yeah, okay," he muttered numbly. "Help me out of here."

Trying to ignore the rapidly approaching wall of flame that was in the background, Shepard grabbed the slim man and limped over to the nearby pod door. Joker groaned as his weak bones strained from the abuse but kept any snarky comments to himself. The door opened at the duo's presence and Shepard gingerly helped Joker inside. Before he could clamber aboard, he suddenly felt himself rising as the entire deck started to shift.

Shepard tapped at a control for his mag-boots but he was now floating in the air at this point, there was nothing for him to attach to. A surge in the ship caused him to careen off course, towards the opposite wall, far away from the pod. Joker watched the entire scene unfold, mouth agape as the man tried to readjust.

"Shepard!" Joker yelled but was cut off as the now characteristic yellow beam was thrust between them, melting the deck where Shepard had occupied only seconds before. There was no other option at this point, the ship was disintegrating too fast and he was unable to reach the pod now. Positioning himself next to the pod controls, he slammed his fist on the eject button and winced at Joker's howl of abandonment as the door closed. Shortly later, he heard the familiar _thump_ as it separated away from the Normandy.

Shepard smiled under the helmet, he had done his duty to the best of his ability. He had saved as many people as he could. He only regretted that his final words to Tali were a lie, that he would not make it after all. Would she understand his position? Being a quarian, surely she was familiar with the duties of a captain to his crew. It was a simple decision yet he felt conflicted about lying to the poor girl.

Any train of thought on the matter was cut off as he was buffeted around by the orange flames that ballooned all around him. One particular blast sent him flying into a wall, stunning him. He shook his head as he winced, he most likely had a concussion now. Metal and pieces of debris were flying past him at breakneck speed as he cleared the ship itself in time to see it disappear in a fiery blaze that brightened his world for what seemed like an eternity.

The pressure from the explosion slammed into his body and he felt a burning sensation in his left leg. He glanced down and his eyes widened in horror. His leg was gone, missing. A jagged piece of metal must have been flung in his direction by the blast, cutting it off. His suit automatically applied a layer of medi-gel around the breach, sealing his body from space. It didn't help as he started to feel cold from where his stump was exposed, a faint white of bone jutted out from where skin used to cover it.

He detected more movement and Shepard tried to maneuver himself out of the way but it was too late. Another flash of silver passed by and Shepard could only stare at the stump of his arm as crystallized blood frosted in front of his face. He felt no pain from his maimed limbs as shock began to take hold but began to scream nonetheless, the sound only echoing within his helmet. His vision became blurry as the combination of losing two limbs began to affect him, his motions becoming weaker.

The light from Amada flickered in his vision. It overpowered everything that he could perceive, it was breathtaking. He felt calm overpower his body as he succumbed to his fate, to float endlessly in this position for all time. It would be a fitting end for a man of Commander Shepard's stature.

Suddenly, another spinning piece of metal cast a shadow over him, causing him to momentarily frown in frustration as it headed towards his face.

* * *

**I: Metal**

* * *

**A/N: If this seems a little familiar to you, then I suggest you wait until the next chapter before you cast your opinion. I have a few plot points planned out for this that are exciting to me, to say the least, and I look forward to sharing them with you.**

**And on that bombshell, *claps hands together* let's get to work.**


	2. Chapter 1: Gone Horribly Wrong

It was the voices that brought him back.

He felt like he was submerged, his thoughts came sluggishly, his limbs held back by some unseen force. It was dark, it felt like he was floating. The concept of time was lost on him as he continued to simply _exist_.

The fact that he still perceived himself was not exactly a comforting thought. It didn't necessarily mean that he was dead but he had no other proof that he was alive. The last thing that he could remember was a sliver flash, a spurt of blood, and flames licking at his body. The more he considered it, _that_ wasn't a comforting thought either.

But was there a point to all this? It seemed like only seconds had passed when he felt like his mind was working again. What had drawn him into this limbo? He had blacked out for only a few minutes, right? Surely his crew had come back for him, they needed him as much as he needed them.

They could fix his arm, his leg, and whatever else on his body that was damaged from the craft. He felt a stab of impatience as he longed to see his friends again, to let them know that it was all right, that he was back.

But nothing came. He merely waited, trapped in this pit of darkness.

He might as well try to speak. He made a motion in what he thought was his mouth opening (he had lost all feeling entirely) but was unable to elicit a sound from his throat. Frustration flashed across him as he drew deep into his memories, bringing familiar faces to mind as he strived for new ways to pass the time.

As quickly as the thought of his friends became a reality, they vanished. What was going on? Did he no longer have control of his own thoughts anymore? It was unfair, he never wanted to be in this position in the first place. As he felt himself wallow in despair, his attention was suddenly caught as there was a brief tint of purple that seemingly glowed from afar. He quickly looked in that direction to perceive the ghostly apparition. What was it? Purple? Why would only a color come to mind?

If there was a direct answer to his rhetorical question, it never came to him as the warm purple faded into blackness. He reflected on his vision momentarily. The shade of the color was familiar to him, now that he had time to process it. In fact, it was the exact sort of shade that-

A bright light fell upon his entire being, causing him to writhe in agony. He winced as his entire body seemed to be burning from the intensity of the light. He opened his mouth to scream and was rewarded with a sound, not a chilling shriek of pain but a ragged breath. He felt air pour into his lungs, the sensation causing his head to throb in pain. The pain was good, it reminded him that he was still alive.

As he struggled to gain consciousness, he could hear muffled voices in the background. They seemed rather frantic, as if he was reliving the destruction of his ship again. Was the entire thing a dream? Was he getting a second chance to live again, doomed to repeat this cycle of misery until he could find a way to correct his past mistakes?

It soon hit him that the location he was now positioned in was _not_ the Normandy. It was not anywhere he could discern because his vision suddenly appeared, making him involuntarily blink in surprise. The sensation of blinking, however, came rather slowly, mechanically, and his sight was now permeated by a red filter. For some reason, numbers scrolled across his view, random points of data without an immediate purpose. He must have hit his head harder than he thought, now he was hallucinating.

The more he lay in his position, the more convinced he became that he wasn't hallucinating. The random numbers still persisted, but he could now see that a set in the corner of his view showed the approximate time for where he was located, as if he was wearing a HUD, despite the fact that the month indicated was fifteen months ahead. Most likely a software glitch. On the other hand, it didn't feel like he was wearing a headset with that type of display, much less like he was wearing anything at all.

Now a face hovered over him in worry, middle-aged man, bald, obviously talking to someone outside his field of vision as he continued to lie on his back. What kind of hospital was this? What were they doing to him? The voices were still muffled, as if he was wearing earplugs. Straining to comprehend, he felt his mind flex and an audible _pop_ sounded as the raw, clear sound filtered into his head.

…."-waking up," the face above him was saying. "It's too early."

"What do you mean, waking up?" another voice inserted itself. This one was deeper than the man before him.

"I mean, his vitals are increasing, he's coming back."

"Miranda, what should we do?" The other man was sounding fairly agitated, not a good sign.

"Take no chances, sedate him," another voice, this one sounding like it was coming from a loudspeaker burst through. She seemed rather annoyed at the interruption and that their plight was grating on her nerves.

This only took a second for him to register before he felt a jolt pass through him as he fully realized. She was referring to _him_, they were going to sedate _him_. Why would they do such a thing? The whole point of a hospital was to make patients better, not keep them in a coma. He felt a rattle pass through his bed as his limbs shook. There was no give, he had been strapped in. Panic was now seething through him, he had to do something, quick.

The man who had stood over him previously, the thin, bald male, walked over to a medical console on the right side of his bed. The man took a quick second to look at what lay before him, and in that instant, he felt himself act.

A snapping sound echoed throughout the room as the restraint cracked, his right arm a blur as groping fingers extended and grasped the man's throat. He started to gag immediately as the powerful grip dragged him towards where he imagined his face would be.

"Wilson!" he heard a cry from the other man in the corner of the room but he paid no heed.

Looking straight into his captive's eyes, he growled, "Who...are…you?"

The voice that came out from his mouth shocked him. It was not the voice he was used to, rather it sounded more sinister, more electronic. _What was going on?_

The man could not speak for the life was leaving him as his fingers constricted. His assailant frantically looked over the man's body for any insignia, finding none he recognized, ignoring the alarming _snap_ that reverberated through his arm.

"You're not Alliance…or C-Sec. _Who are you?"_

It was at this point that he realized that the man who was still in his grip was dead. The sound he had heard earlier was his neck breaking, or it could have been from when his throat was ruined from a foreign body. Blood ran from between his fingers as he saw that his fist had unknowingly torn out his trachea while he questioned him. Tubing and red splattered everywhere as he let go of the body in a daze. This wasn't how he imagined it at all. There was no explanation for how he could have done such a thing.

Lifting his hand to his face, he stopped breathing as he took in the sight. Rather than the pink flesh he had taken for granted so many times, he now beheld a mechanical, entirely metal appendage. His hand and parts of his arm were covered with a greyish material while the rest of it was an exposed, black, chassis.

_A prosthetic limb?_

"Shepard, stop!" He whirled to face a man who was leveling a pistol at him. This man was dark-skinned, and dressed in the uniform of a security officer. Much like the hapless man who now currently lay in a rapidly spreading pool of blood, this one also wore the same strange symbol.

"She….pard?" he whispered, the familiar name coming back to him. He swung his legs off the bed as he started to approach the man but there was yet another surprise in store. A clacking sound of metal making contact was distracting to him, yet it happened every time he took a step. He glanced down and simply stopped where he was, dumbfounded.

His legs were made from the same material as his arm, grey covering over a metal skeleton. It shocked him that despite his vivid recollection of only one leg getting amputated in his accident that both legs were now inexplicably replaced for some reason. The limbs gleamed in the bright light, the clicks and whirs coming from them eerily reminded him of the geth. Them and all their synthetic brethren.

A thought struck him and he lifted his left arm in confirmation of his hypothesis. Sure enough, the artificial extremity glinted at him, perhaps maliciously, as he now fully understood what he was now.

"_Jacob_!" the voice over the loudspeaker snapped him back to reality. "Don't shoot Shepard!"

"I…am," he heard himself say, perhaps in disbelief, perhaps in determination. "John _Shepard_."

He resumed walking forward, at the dark man. The pistol trembled in his grip as he struggled with his options. Apparently finding some comfort in the hope that he could somehow get out of this situation alive, he pulled the trigger and watched as a bright flash headed for the target's face.

Shepard instinctively shut his eyes but he felt no pain. The bullet didn't even alter his momentum, he realized. Opening them again, he saw the remnant of the shield splash fade away, the same effect as someone would witness if they were equipped with a personal shield generator.

Audibly growling, he stalked forward, now ignoring every impact that gnawed away at his shields, the small indicator in his vision denoting that their strength hadn't even dropped to half. A concussive burst slammed into his midsection and he finally fell to his knees as the dark man reloaded.

"Dammit, Jacob!" The woman called, "We need Shepard alive!"

"He's trying to _kill_ me, Miranda!" The man cried.

"What have…" Shepard gasped, stumbling to his feet. "What have you _done_ to me?"

Jacob fumbled with a clip, which rolled away on the floor. Cursing, he moved to his belt for a new one but Shepard sprung off his feet and closed the distance between them in two large steps. He raised his arm, hearing the man start to scream before the impact, and finally a second of silence as his body flew through the air before connecting with the window a few meters away.

The window was rated to be military strength but the body had so much force behind it that it cracked, the sound like a lightning bolt. Blood dripped down from where Jacob's head had impacted with the window, but Shepard didn't notice it. He instead grabbed the man's shirt and lifted him partially up so that he could address him.

"_Why am I here_?" He screamed, "_Who do you work for?_"

Any effort he made to contact the man was hopeless, he realized a few seconds later. Jacob's head had been completely caved in from the impact, blood was dribbling down his nose as it leaked out of his body. His head lolled in the direction that gravity imparted on it, no longer held up by the flaring of nerves. Disgusted, Shepard let the body fall to the ground with a pulpy _smack_.

An alarm was now sounding throughout the room, Miranda must have triggered it. Shepard had no intention of finding out what kind of response the alarm's purpose denoted. It was best to leave as soon as possible, wherever he was.

Picking up the dead man's pistol, he stood up until something caught his eye in the window. He walked towards the reflective surface as he stared straight ahead, now completely uncertain of his mental state, whether he had descended into some twisted nightmare or not. Whatever the case, the sight in front of him was more troubling than all of his unfortunate discoveries made in the past five minutes combined.

A tall, thin body gleamed back at him. It wasn't just his arms and legs that were shiny and new, his torso and head were made from the same material. The same grey layer formed a sort of protective shell over his chest and parts of his back, protecting the organs that were encased within the cold metal. If he turned his head in the right direction, he could see the hint of red deep within his chest. Evidently his new body was not meant to be one hundred percent accurate or protective.

What disturbed Shepard most was the sight of his face. His brow creased in his worry, causing him to notice that the top portion of his face was made out of some nanoweave material, reacting to the motions that normal skin would make, enabling the eyes to become more expressive by imitating the cock of an eyebrow in apprehension or any other complex emotion that could not be detected by voice alone. His eyes were made from a silvery material and glowed orange around the iris, synthetic. They were cold and lifeless, lacking his own blue color that he could find peace in. The nose of the head was little more than an elaborate slot, mimicking the appearance of a skull. His jaw was made from the same black metal, more and more emulating the overall skull look.

Shepard raised a hand to his face, fingers slightly trembling despite the new look. These limbs were only appendages controlled by motor impulses which meant that his brain still retained some basic senses. A finger touched the smooth, shiny surface and Shepard could feel something now. It was more of a pricking sensation in the back of his mind when he rubbed his finger across an object but it became more defined after time. It was almost as if he could feel the temperature through the metal itself. It was an uncanny experience but upsetting all the same.

_I'm no longer human._

Distracting Shepard from his self-pity, the door slid open and several tall, white forms strode out. The LOKI mech was not designed for combat situations but merely as a security option. They were slow, sluggish, and incapable of handling any large weapon. Plus, they were fairly noisy in the fact that they had a long warm up period in which they acquired targets in a vocal manner before they actually fired. It was that design flaw that caused Shepard to scramble behind the bed he had laid in while bullets chewed up the floor around him.

He still held Jacob's pistol so he leaned out of cover. Shepard was pleased to see that one LOKI mech was in a perfect position so he immediately fired, the gun comfortably kicking back in his hand. The mech toppled as its head exploded, metal and plastic raining everywhere.

The rest of the unit hardly paid any attention and they continued to fire at the bed, still not hitting Shepard. Exhibiting an extraordinary foolishness, he abruptly stood up and casually strode towards the mechs blocking the exit.

Bullets hit the shield but glanced off, just as before. Shepard guessed that he there had been a generator installed in his new body and from the way it was handling punishment, it must have been quite expensive.

Almost, lazily, Shepard raised the arm holding the pistol and fired three times, the gun hardly moving in his hand after he exerted an unbelievably strong grip on the weapon. He stepped over the ruined mechs as the voice on the loudspeaker continued to dish out orders. Shepard stretched as he continued to acclimate to his new body. There was nothing he could do about it now. There were bigger fish to fry. Right now, he needed to leave this place and get some answers. There were none to be found here.

"Time to pay a visit to this…Miranda," he growled, voice low and raspy.

* * *

Tali stared numbly at the valve as she twisted it into place. Satisfied that the pressure of the tank had dropped to a sufficient level, she nodded and backed away.

The quarian liveship _Rayya_ was constantly being plagued by mechanical problems, it had been this way for years. To be more precise, it was clearly no small feat that the majority of ships in the quarian fleet were holding together as it is. Because many of them had been built centuries ago, it was only through the constant tinkering that these ships hadn't fallen apart already.

Which is where Tali came in, as one of the lead mechanics on board one of the flotilla's most important ships, Tali had a duty to see that the _Rayya_ didn't decompress all of a sudden due to a breach or lose control of its thrusters after an outbreak of rust.

The liveships were, in essence, the heart of the quarian fleet. There were three of them in total, responsible for growing the food that would feed the millions of quarians stranded in space, all thanks to their meddling in AI technology, which backfired tremendously when the AI collective, dubbed the "geth" rebelled and forced the quarian people to abandon their homeworld. Now confined to the lonely void, the quarians merely drifted along, biding their time until they could find a suitable place to colonize, or to retake back their homeworld, Rannoch.

Such concerns were in the back of Tali's mind as she sighed in the confines of the cramped maintenance room. A blinking icon in her helmet indicated that her shift was up. Slumping in relief, she left her tools where they were and proceeded toward the ladder, climbing up the slippery surface to open the hatch to the hallway.

Spending a few minutes talking to her coworkers, she entered her room where she proceeded to curl up on the small bunk in a fetal position. Most quarians were required to share rooms together but Tali was an exception. It was not so much the fact that she was the daughter of a noted admiral, but by the pride she had brought to her people serving aboard a human ship and the gift that she presented to the captain of the _Rayya_ at the end of her Pilgrimage, the quarian rite of passage into adulthood.

The gift itself, while plain looking at first sight, was more precious than food for her people. It was an OSD which contained vital information on the geth, containing basic information such as nomenclatures and attack formations to intricate knowledge of local processes and data patterns. The methods it was obtained under would have originally meant that it would have been appropriated by humans for study as it was considered classified information. It was only though the generous actions of her captain at the time in which she was able to obtain a copy. Both promised to keep it a secret between them as it technically was a felony for him to distribute such sensitive information, but it gave her a thrill knowing that he confided in her for such matters. It turns out that the information was the most important gift anyone had brought back from a Pilgrimage in recent years and for that, Tali was allowed to have her own room, whether she liked it or not.

Tali hated it. She never had her own room before but she just couldn't decide to do with all of the space, in the quarian sense of the word. She had never even had her own room on the Normandy as the sleeper pods had sufficed quite nicely, as a matter of fact.

That brought a pang to her heart. The _Normandy_. The last ship she had served on before this. Tali sniffled slightly as she conjured up the memories of her friends aboard the doomed vessel. Liara, Kaidan, Wrex, Garrus, and…Shepard.

Tali whimpered as she curled up even more. The human who had done so much for her, who gave her the gift, who took her under his wing, who had shown her kindness, was suddenly taken away fifteen months ago. She could remember every detail, the shaking of the craft, the hot flames reaching for her, and her screaming when she found out that he was _gone_.

As much as she wanted to forget that painful day, the memories wouldn't stop flowing. Tears trickled down her face, unseen behind her mask. It was like this every day. As much as she tried to forget, as much as her friends told her the pain would fade, it was all for naught. She couldn't forget, she just _couldn't_. Tali wanted to hear his voice again, to share one of their many conversations as each of them did in engineering, describing their people to each other. He wasn't humoring her, she had thought at the time, there was something else, another reason for them talking so much. It went unsaid, but she could feel it, she knew it! But she would never find out his true motivations now.

"Shepard," she whispered helplessly to the empty air. "Why did it have to be _you_?"

* * *

The blood stained tiles passed underneath his feet, his footsteps leaving red imprints behind him. Shepard cautiously peered around the next corner before opening the door beyond.

The more time he spent on this station, the more assured he felt that surrender was a bad idea. Literally everything he could see was either shooting at him or yelling authoritatively for him to stand down. If they wanted to adopt a more polite attitude, then they clearly needed to refine their etiquette skills.

Shepard had kept on seeing the strange yellow symbol all around him and it was only when he concentrated at it long and hard at a particular example on the wall, a pop up display had analyzed the icon and shown him the exact affiliation. Just great, bloatware installed into his own head. Was any of this really necessary?

His annoyance vanished when he scanned the brief description of his would-be captors. It was the symbol of Cerberus, a human paramilitary group that had spun off from the existing Alliance military. The leader of the group was codenamed the "Illusive Man," the shadowy puppetmaster behind the scenes and was constant thorn in the galaxy's side. Shepard had not met any individuals from Cerberus personally until he had begun tracking down Saren. Throughout his travels, he encountered several separate teams that were not exactly demonstrating humanity as the paragon of the galaxy. Their work included experimentation on Thorian creepers and rachni, even murdering an Alliance admiral for snooping around too closely with the Illusive Man's twisted work.

It made no sense. Why was he in the hands of Cerberus? How had they gotten to him before his crew? Why did they put him in this…thing?

Each face that passed before him was less friendly than the last. All tried to stop him, all failed. Bodies and mechs alike fell to the ground as he continued to walk down the hall, seething with anger at his current predicament. He growled, somehow enjoying the lower timbre that his new vocabulator utilized.

A mini-map in the lower left corner of his vision indicated that there was one more life-form left aboard this station. Miranda, most likely.

He waited for the final door to open before he found himself in a shuttle bay. LOKI mechs at the bottom of the staircase started to fold up in an attack position but he vaulted down the steps and smashed their bodies with his metal fists, the cheap plastic crumpling from the force. Shepard wondered how he must have looked, a rambling, dazed, bipedal machine that was in the midst of an unstoppable rampage. Surely that must have counted for someone's worst nightmare at one point. He never thought that it would be him in that position.

The door across the bay slid open, revealing a woman in a skin-tight combat suit. She carefully aimed a pistol at Shepard's head, who just laughed in response.

"You know that's not going to do anything, right?"

Miranda slanted her eyes, "You never know, Shepard. But you're going to have to stop right here."

She certainly had an assured exterior, he had to admit. "And why should I?" he asked, arching his artificial eyebrow.

"Because we need you. _Humanity_ needs you."

"You mean _Cerberus_ needs me. Don't even bother trying to hide the truth from me. I can tell when people lie to my face."

"We're doing important work!" she defended. "_We_ brought you back, _we_ saved you. Now what does that tell you about us?"

"_Saved_?" Shepard barked in a self-depreciating laugh. "Take a look at me, does this look like everything was _saved_ to you?"

"You were critically injured! The chassis was necessary!"

"Bullshit," he spat. "I don't buy that for an instant. You just want to control me, you only want me to do your dirty work. I know what Cerberus really is and my answer will be no."

Miranda steadied her grip as she continued to stare at the machine that contained John Shepard. "Is that your final word then?"

"As final as it's going to get. I'm not working with terrorists!"

Shepard grabbed for his pistol at the same time he lunged to the side. Depressing the trigger in a blur, three shots rang out, causing Miranda to stumble backwards as they impacted on her shields. She yelled out briefly in pain before she adjusted herself. Eyes lowered, her body glowed in a violet wreath before Shepard found himself sliding across the floor uncontrollably.

So, Miranda was a biotic. This made things interesting.

He laid down some precise fire, causing her to duck behind the wall of the bay as he ejected his clip. Six more bullets in the gun, he wanted to see what he could do with them.

Miranda now brandished her own pistol and methodically fired but he casually stood there and took the hits, shields absorbing each shock. By the time she had reloaded, they had recharged back to full strength. This wasn't a battle that would be won on firepower alone.

Miranda raised her arm to push Shepard back again but he aimed carefully with his gun and fired once. She cried out as the bullet hit her shields just over her hand, causing it to flop uselessly by her side as it was stunned.

Shepard saw his chance and started sprinting for the woman, firing indiscriminately to prevent her from retreating back into cover, the bullets barking between her and the wall. Now panicked, Miranda lifted her other hand to quickly send a purple force in his direction. Reacting from experience, he simply batted the offending attack aside, his charge not slowing any. Only steps away, he viciously swung his arm in a blow that would have knocked her head off had she not ducked at the last moment. Somehow, he had anticipated this outcome, sweeping his leg across, feeling it catch on hers, and she fell heavily to the floor, her breath exiting her lungs in a _whoof!_

Servos whirring, Shepard dropped to a knee as he noted the lack of fatigue. There were no muscles to tire, no limbs to weaken. He felt that he could take on an army of krogan at this rate. He grabbed Miranda by the neck as she lay on the floor and lifted an arm above his head.

"Perhaps you should have let me die," he said simply, and he powered his fist to the ground with all of the ferocity he could muster from his mighty arm.

Miranda's face disappeared in an explosion of blood and bone, Shepard's hand completely impacting through her skull. Even though he had expected such a result, the consequences still shocked him. He pried his fist from the woman's head, shaking off the spongy material that was her brains. Anything that had been directly in front of his blow was now mush, the eye matter a liquefied puddle.

The sight disgusted him, he felt like he should gag but no reaction came to him. There were no tears to be shed as the lack of proper ducts prevented this natural development from occurring. The whole situation was a mess. He still hadn't received answers to all of his questions and had no idea of what he should do to obtain them.

However, considering short-term options, he figured that a first step would be to actually get off this station. If he would never set foot inside it again it would be too soon. The nearest white shuttle glowed to his presence as he stepped aboard. It was VI controlled and had a route already plotted, most likely a gateway station. He could figure out where to go from there.

Before the shuttle jumped to FTL, he adjusted the controls to manual and oriented the craft to the back of the station. The software embedded inside him had sent him an image of the station's schematics so it took little effort to locate the life support systems that were nestled away near the observation deck. He flipped the triggers for the weapons systems and part of the station fell away in a molten mass, blown to pieces from the shuttle's guns.

Shepard sat back in triumph as he reverted control back to the VI. He lifted a hand up to his face as he studied it some more, taking advantage in the lull of his hectic situation. He could hear a mechanical whirring from every movement he made, sometimes there was a clicking as inorganic parts clashed together. It made him sick to his stomach as he accepted the fact that this was where he was at now. That this was the path life had set him on.

It was like he never had a choice in the matter.

He whirled to the middle of the craft and furiously punched the inner wall in frustration, feeling the reverberation of the impact jolt up through his arm. There was no pain to discourage him from repeating the foolish act, only the sizable dent that his fist had made in the craft. Why? Why did he have to be like this? A grotesque mockery of his former self? A freak of nature, who by all accounts should have been buried in the ground in some nameless cemetery by now? Was this truly preferable to dying?

He sank to his knees and screamed his agony in the confined area, the terrifying noise embracing its hellish prisoner in his despair. He felt like throwing up, but he couldn't. The desire was there but he was unable to act upon it. The sensation was driving him insane. He continued to writhe on the ground as he screamed some more.

Shepard was now utterly lost.

* * *

Fingers tapped relentlessly at the desk on board the bridge of the frigate _Desperado_. The images on the monitor troubled the man but at the same time gave him a sense of vindication. The Illusive Man had always turned a blind eye to his preferred subordinates, to which he was not a member of, and he was fighting the urge to display a smug smile at the moment.

Colonel Henry Rukin was not exactly the image of respectability. His hair was rumpled, longer than standard military regulations, his goatee was bushy and untrimmed, and his clothes always looked rumpled.

Perhaps that had to do with Cerberus' rather relaxed style of leadership. It treated itself like an extension of the military but in reality everyone was free to make their own rules and command in their own unique manner. It suited Rukin just fine but grated on the more senior members of the organization.

In most cases, the higher ranking members of Cerberus had all served in the military at one point. They had either joined up after they mustered out or were kicked out altogether (as was usually the case). They were a particularly bloodthirsty bunch but Rukin was a special case. He had been a private mercenary for twenty years, sticking his fingers in every sort of illicit trade one could think of. Money, drugs, valuables, people, you name it, he dealt it.

When the Alliance began to take notice of his unsavory activities and put a bounty on his head, Rukin had become worried. He had never had a whole armada chasing him before but welcomed the challenge. It would have been a manhunt that he had always dreamed, a spectacle of blood and guts with the whole galaxy watching, with an ending that would result in him going out in a blaze of glory, taking down as many enemies as he could with him.

Prying him from his fantastical path shortly thereafter was an offer of cooperation, from the Illusive Man himself no less. It seemed that with the Alliance's newfound attention on Rukin's head, Cerberus had taken notice as well and wanted the veteran mercenary to join their cause. When promised that he would be given free reign of his actions as long as it was logistically sound, he jumped at the chance, somewhat relieved that he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder and having to plot a meticulous suicide attempt.

And thus began the man's career at Cerberus. Given the title of colonel, Rukin could now enjoy the fact that he was virtually untouchable. Cerberus went to great lengths to protect their own and he could pillage and plunder as he pleased, provided that he gave a percentage to the man up top on occasion, which Rukin was only happy to do. He knew that the Illusive Man didn't fully trust him as he had not had enough time to prove that he was not in this solely for the thrill of the hunt, but by his belief in the organization. He truthfully didn't care about Cerberus but was loyal to the fact that it accepted him for what he was, a killer at heart.

To placate the notion of any untrustworthiness, the Illusive Man did allow Rukin to supervise a few assignments on the side, an introduction to the darker aspects of Cerberus. He had been chosen to oversee the study of rachni on one of their remote outposts, a project that had become noticed by an Alliance admiral after his unit was killed when they were tricked into wandering into a thresher maw nest. Rukin knew that there would be retribution for his rather ingenious maneuver so he was only happy to continue his work, eventually capturing the nosy admiral after he foolishly tried to go after Cerberus on his own. To the admiral's credit, he didn't seem like the type who would crack easily and Rukin didn't even want to try. Torture had its uses but was pointless if there was no discernable goal from the exercise itself. In the end, he simply injected a lethal dose of chemicals into the admiral's body, no point in leaving a huge mess. The body itself was a clear message, regardless of the state it was left in.

But it aggrieved him to no end when less competent members were promoted ahead of him, leaving him behind in the dust. He still managed important research portions of Cerberus' research and development but for all his hard work, the Illusive Man still wouldn't trust him.

If there was a silver lining, there was one less person that the Illusive Man would fawn over now. Rukin casually glanced to the screen as the mashed body of Miranda Lawson lay on the ground in the Wayfarer Station. The display read that the entire station had been deprived of oxygen for the better part of an hour. Flipping through the security feeds, he confirmed that everyone that wasn't shot to pieces had suffocated, sitting in their own filth as they struggled to breathe. Evidently Shepard had done more damage than anyone could have possibly calculated.

If only Lawson hadn't been so cocky and tried to shut Rukin out of the process. With a project as important as bringing Commander Shepard back to life, they needed every able bodied person they could find but she repeatedly insisted on working with a skeleton crew. The Illusive Man, as always, had sided with her.

Rukin copied select clips of the carnage as he shut the display off. He rubbed at the scraggly hairs on his face, carefully going over the upcoming conversation in his head. He would have a little more pull now with his boss but he knew that he couldn't push too hard for the plan that he'd formulated or else he'd be back to square one.

_She said she was never wrong to me once. Shows how much she knew_.

There was no appropriate method of contacting the Illusive Man on board this ship so he would have to borrow the nearest one. Rukin detested the thought of having to beg Petrovsky for the use of his holodeck but that would hardly impact the righteousness he felt within him.

As he headed for the shuttle bay, he reminded himself not to gloat too much. Impropriety was never a good idea, especially when one dealt with devils.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to t3hPrO, who gave me my most pointless review to date. **

**Take this example to heart on how NOT to write a review. You can determine for yourselves if he made a valid point.**

**But, in the future, I prefer CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, not DUMB criticism.**


	3. Chapter 2: A Year in Review

"_Arriving at Banner Station,_" the VI smoothly said.

Shepard stood up, trying to control his boiling emotions as the craft entered the bay of the space station. He had spent a few hours crammed into the cockpit after calming down from his initial wake-up. It had occurred to him that no matter what position he sat in, his body did not seem to relay any sign of discomfort, despite the fact that he could clearly feel the placement of his limbs.

He had taken the opportunity to study his new body a bit more closely now that he was alone. Shepard had run diagnostics on the capabilities that he now possessed and found himself rather intrigued at the tech that Cerberus had crammed into him.

As he suspected, the shield generator that had prevented any harm from coming to him was top of the line. The kinetic barriers were custom designed to withstand at least twenty seconds of continuous fire from a light machine gun. With the exorbitant cost from this, Shepard could have purchased at least ten Spectre requisition weapons. It seemed a little overkill but it did save his life at least once, no telling if he would need it later.

Special shock absorbers were integrated into his legs, allowing him to jump greater distances and not take damage from higher falls. The same technology was also implemented in his arms which would prevent the deforming of them if he ever needed to strike a solid object, much like the wall of the craft not two hours ago.

From what Shepard could discern, his organs were encased deep within the black chassis. Which ones, he could not say, but they most likely included his lungs, heart, stomach, and intestines, if he were to hazard a guess. Perhaps that was what the grey material that encased part of his body was for. The nanoweave material was shiny and reflective but it was light and tough as combat armor. There was no question that it would take a few solid hits before any rounds could penetrate, if they broke through the shield first, that is.

As he continued to stare at his body, random pop ups in his vision would constantly offer additional information about his surroundings. He found that if he concentrated on the icons, he could access different diagnostics embedded within the suit. The software, in essence, functioned as a computer running in tandem alongside Shepard's brain. It could display his body vitals, shield information, and even drop down a HUD if he so desired, without the need for a helmet. It was a useful feature but he hated that it would now act as a crutch for him when he had no use for it before the accident. As much as he despised what he had become, it was a change that he was going to have to get used to, a permanent addition.

There was a smooth bump as the craft settled down to the floor of the station. Shepard peered down through the tinted window to see a few scattered personnel milling around the bay. They were all wearing the Cerberus insignia, which made them all targets.

Shepard mentally frowned. He hadn't wanted to kill everyone aboard the station but the fact that they had all been shooting at him made his decision relatively easy. Should he exhibit the same sort of brutality here? He decided to give them a test.

Hooking his Predator to his side, he opened the shuttle door and stomped out, heavy footfalls echoing through the cavernous room. Everyone suddenly stopped and looked at the sleek metal form as it glanced menacingly on all sides, sizing up the opposition.

Shepard's eyebrows rose in amusement. "Hello there," he sneered, still unable to locate the feature that would change his voice back to normal.

All of the men stared for a long second before reaching for their guns, some shouting in surprise. Guess they failed the test. Shepard audibly sighed as the bullets hit, splashing harmlessly away as he grabbed his pistol again, mere moments after he had holstered it. He slowly aimed and fired at the nearest soldier, blood and bone bursting from his body as he fell to the ground, the crates stained behind him with red.

Shepard carefully used both hands to gracefully guide the pistol to rest on each individual soldier, each one perishing in a pulpy mess after the bullets had eaten away at their heads. With his firm grip, the pistol literally had no recoil, giving him a few extra seconds to gain the upper hand.

A series of footsteps were now behind him, very close. Shepard abruptly turned as he swept his right arm in an arc. A blaze of orange enveloped his upper arm and he saw that the trooper who had charged him was now inexplicably cut in half, the top portion leaking organs and blood everywhere as he writhed in agony.

The tall, ex-human backed away from the mess as he appraised the omni-blade that had been activated. Such a tool was still in the prototype stage when he last heard, and only then were they being utilized for specialist work. There were several different variations on the type of omni-blade depending on the software and the power input. One could have anything as small as a knife to a full-fledged sword, if you had the technology, or the credits. The one that currently extended from Shepard's arm was the size of a small sabre, longer than the average blade but smaller than an actual sword.

_More and more surprises locked away in this body. I could almost get used to this._

Even though everyone in the bay was dead at this point, himself still falling into a grey area, Shepard's sensors were still picking up a few more personnel still on this station. He gave a mental shrug, Cerberus hadn't done anything to convince him that they deserved anything other than swift justice. If only they could try diplomacy once in a while.

The door took too long to cycle so he just smashed it open with his foot. Ordinarily, he would have exhibited some patience but he could be forgiven for the slight in his manner. One could only take so much abuse before snapping.

The few humans who crossed his path he killed with his hands, feeling the shattering of their vertebra as their each of their necks twisted beyond repair. No need to waste ammo on this scum.

He was now in some sort of waiting room. Benches lined all around, a few consoles stood at the end of the room, and a large window overlooked the entire bay. A staging area, perhaps. A place for the troops to rest before they were carted off for a mission. A part of Shepard was glad that he killed them all, that no harm would befall others from their actions. To their credit, they did not even plead as he killed them one by one, entering methodically into each room to steal their life. They seemed to have anticipated this outcome and they met their fate in a defiant, but accepting manner. It was better than them begging for mercy, he hated it when they screamed. It always made him sick to his stomach, not that he could ever feel that way again.

There was still one more room he hadn't covered and he now descended towards the staircase to check it out. Shepard stopped in the doorway as he approached the dark entrance. The room only contained a holodeck and from the looks of it, there wasn't anything else of interest. He didn't fancy making a call to anyone (who would accept him in this form?) and there was no point in using it at all. Room secure.

A quiet shuffling sound in the corner caused Shepard to rethink his analysis as he peered around, ready to silence this last person. The man was huddled in the far end of the room, sniffling as the horrendous machine came towards him.

Despite the dim lighting, Shepard could see clearly through his artificial optics but he wasn't so sure if what they projected was a hundred percent accurate at the moment. This person was different. This one wore the same loathsome symbol but the face was familiar. The beard on him was fuller, the eyes a little duller, but it was him. There was only one person who could pull off a look like that, complete with a trademark pilot's cap.

"_Joker_?" the raspy voice came through.

The man moaned and covered his face with his arms, not wanting to listen or bother to question the fact that this thing knew his name. Shepard paused, how to get the man to recognize him? He furiously brought up his menu list in the software, desperately searching for sound options. He scrolled through the multiple lists of voices he could choose from, hundreds apparently. They all had the potential to be handy in certain situations but he searched for a familiar keyword that anyone would recognize.

He stopped as the list neared the end. There was a file named "JShepard_01." Low file size, high quality filter, it was worth a shot.

"Joker," he spoke more clearly and gasped as his familiar, calm voice burst through, seemingly untouched by the electronic filters lodged in his throat.

"H-Huh?" Joker looked up in disbelief, wary at the demonic presence but confused by the recognizable voice.

Shepard raised his hands in a gesture of nonviolence as he slowly knelt down to the terrified man. He honestly had no idea of what to say to this man. How the hell was he going to convince Joker that this was his old commander? It was too late now, he had to try.

"Do you recognize me?" Shepard asked softly. The question sounded stupid in his head even before he said it. Of course he wouldn't recognize him by his appearance! He was only relying on his voice to jog the poor man's memory, which wasn't much to go on.

"That…that voice," Joker slowly shook his head. "No. It can't be…you're only using him to drive me crazy!"

"I promise you, Joker," Shepard pleaded. "It really _is_ me, I don't know how else I can prove it to you, but-"

"It's a trick! You hanar are only using him to get me to surrender myself willing to you! You finally caught me, all right? I promise I will delete all of the videos, just stop using Shepard as a mental ploy!"

The outburst caught Shepard by surprise. It took a lot to make him laugh in this day and age, especially considering the fragile situation at the moment but the man's paranoia had finally broken the spell.

"Wait…what?" He chuckled, trying to make sense of the nonsensical accusation.

"I mean it!" Joker shouted, a pistol now in his hand, pointed at Shepard's head. "Stop laughing at me!"

One quick appraisal of the moment and suddenly the gun was now in Shepard's hand after he quickly (but carefully) plucked it out of the pilot's grasp. He tossed the weapon indiscriminately behind him, ignoring the clatter as it retreated into a dark corner.

"Joker," he sighed. "Stop being ridiculous. This isn't a hanar sting operation, you've just been watching too many Blasto movies when I kept telling you to monitor heat emissions during long jumps. On top of that, you've never handled guns in your life before and I don't think that they would meld well considering your current state, what with your Vrolik's and all.

Joker, rubbing his hand, dropped his jaw, "How do you know that? I've never told anyone here about my condition. And you know about my flight habits? Who are you?"

Shepard extended a hand to the shaking, skinny man. Cautiously accepting the gesture, he relented as the metal machine carefully hauled him to his feet. Despite his terrifying appearance, the man had calmed down significantly.

"If it will help you see the truth, then you can ask me any questions you like. But you will have to eventually accept the fact that I am the man you knew as your captain. Everyone called you 'Joker' because it was a nickname that stuck with you in flight school. You areFlight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, and I am Commander John Shepard. It may seem hard to believe, considering my current state, but I assure you that it is me."

Joker's knees gave out at his words but Shepard reacted just in time to catch him, all the while careful not to squeeze too hard lest one of the man's bones were to snap cleanly in half. There were no chairs in this room, so he slowly led him up the stairs to the waiting room just a few feet ahead. Lowering the pilot down, all he heard from him was mumbling.

"You can't be Commander Shepard," he was saying. "You _can't_."

Shepard slowly sat down behind him as the chair slightly gave to his increased weight. "Is there nothing I can do to convince you?"

"All right," Joker snarled. "If you really were Commander Shepard, then I would expect you to have a better plan than just telling me this right to my face! I mean, _fuck_! You're a goddamned robot! What other reaction were you expecting?"

"What would you have me do?" Shepard answered back just as intensely. "Just walk in and say, 'Hi Joker, I'm Shepard' and have that be it? I don't always have all the answers and I certainly have no idea what to do at this point!"

"Who is the human councilor?" Joker said abruptly.

"What is this?"

"Answer the question!" Joker growled. "I'll be able to tell on my own whether you're really him or not. You might not have the answers to everything, but you do have the answers for these. Who is our councilor?"

"David Anderson, I know it because I was the one who recommended him for the position."

"What gang were you affiliated with on Earth?"

Shepard tried to flex his upper features in a scowl, "The Reds, but that was a long time ago. But I don't recall ever telling you that."

"That's because I was monitoring a conversation while you were talking to Tali in engineering...if you actually _do_ remember that. What was the name of the Reaper that attacked the Citadel?"

"We're going to have a firm discussion over the term 'personal space' later, Joker," Shepard scowled, "But the answer is Sovereign."

"What planet was the Conduit on?"

"Ilos."

"Who did you leave behind on Virmire?"

Shepard jolted, the question taking him aback. Joker was still staring at him in a hateful glare, awaiting an answer.

"Who was it?" he persisted. Shepard didn't answer for a moment and he tilted his head in remembrance, recalling the young, eager soldier that he had practically sent to the grave.

Joker leaned over to grasp the cyborg by the collar, "_Who_, Shepard?!"

"_Ashley_!" he shouted. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams! I ordered her to stay behind and secure the nuke! You think I would forget doing that to a person? _Fuck_ you, Joker! I had to stop Saren at any cost and I needed that facility destroyed. She willingly put her life on the line and I had to respect her decision. You can't imagine how making a choice to sacrifice living being does to someone! Her death is on my hands but you would dig her up in a farce of a test so that I have to prove the fact that I am _Shepard_!"

He roared and grabbed a nearby table, easily lifting it over his head as he turned, ignoring the cry of surprise from Joker and threw it against the bay window. The glass shattered as the table was propelled right through it, crashing to the ground in a series of loud bangs. Shepard was furious at his loss of control and he stood there breathing in and out before turning to see the awestruck face on his pilot.

"C-_Commander_…" the man breathed. Joker stood up, despite Shepard's hasty indication for him to stay still, ripped off the Cerberus insignias on the sleeves of his shirt and stood in a full salute. Shepard was unprepared for the gesture; it was abnormal to even consider the man making such a formal action, let alone witnessing it.

"Welcome back."

* * *

The _Veritas_ class of light frigates was a unique design when it was first commissioned by the Alliance Military. The main body style resembled a sideways "Y" shape, with large Thanix cannons equipped on each of the craft's small, stubby wings. It wasn't the fastest ship ever built, or the most reliable. At the moment, it had the most firepower, which Joker put to good use shortly after commandeering it in the bay and away from Banner Station.

Watching the glowing hot wreckage start to cool, Joker leaned back in the pilot's seat as Shepard sat beside him, in the copilot's chair. With a nod, both men sat up and walked over to the star chart, not positioned in the middle of the CIC like the Normandy or like most turian ships, but alongside a wall near the cockpit itself.

"So…" Joker started. "Where to, Commander?"

Shepard moved the cursor to indicate their current position on the wall. They were in some system in the Omega Nebula, well out in the Terminus systems. For all intents and purposes, the Terminus was a den of pirates, thieves, and cutthroats. The hub of all this detestable activity was centered in the mined out hulk of an asteroid simply known as Omega, in the Sahrabarik system.

Ordinarily, Shepard would have preferred to go anywhere else but it seems that external circumstances were continuing to conspire against him. The ship was relatively low on fuel and the nearest depot was, of all things, on Omega. There was no point in denying the fact that Omega was their next stop and didn't bother to state otherwise.

"Take us in for Omega then, Joker," Shepard said as he walked back to his seat.

"Aye aye, sir."

Shepard sighed, "Don't call me 'sir.' In fact, don't call me 'Commander' either. I'm not in the Alliance anymore technically and I don't want to keep things merely formal between us."

Joker shrugged, "You got it, Shepard."

He eyed his pilot with apprehension, "Do you still believe that it's me, Joker? For all you know I could be an advanced VI pretending to be who I say I am. Who's to say that it's really me?"

"Because when you responded with Ash. Only your crew would know how you really felt when you made that choice all those months ago. Last I checked, I was part of that crew."

Shepard blinked, "All those…you mean that it's really been fifteen months since I…you know?"

Joker turned, "How did you know that?"

"The display in my vision reads the current date. I thought it was an error at first but I now know that I died fifteen months ago when…when the Normandy was attacked."

"I saw you get _spaced_, Shepard. I thought you really _had_ died. And now look, you're back and in a kickass robot body. Makes me wonder if I can do a switch for one of those, I need it more than you."

Shepard unconsciously flexed a hand at that, "I'd swap any day of the week to be back in my old body again, Joker. I didn't ask to be put in here nor did I want to. If I had known that this is where my life would end up I would have rather perished above that planet."

Fingers tapped against the dash before Shepard tilted his head in curiosity, "Joker, how did I wind up in the hands of Cerberus?"

Joker tilted his head down, "The…the Alliance thought you were dead, Comm- uh, Shepard. They stopped looking for you in less than a week."

That was disconcerting, "Standard protocol mandates that S&R sweep an area for a minimum of two weeks. Why did they stop?"

"Because the Council forced them to."

Shepard leaned forward, "What? Why?"

Joker waved a hand, "They didn't like what you had uncovered! They couldn't accept your hypothesis of a mega-advanced alien race that was bent on destroying us all. They maintain that it was the geth who attacked us and their official stance is that they were still behind the attack on the Citadel."

"That's _insane_," Shepard growled. "After I that I did for them…and they decide to sweep me under the rug like the rest of the trash? What about the VI on Ilos we encountered? Surely that was part of the report, it would corroborate my stance."

"They maintain that it has deactivated, Shepard. When we persisted in arguing with them, they retaliated by grounding me. I couldn't fly anymore, Shepard. Can you imagine how I felt in that time? Cerberus contacted me shortly after, said that they had a special assignment and that I would get to fly again, so I joined right up. I'm not letting _anyone_ take my wings away if I can help it. Flying's all I'm good for, anyway. I just didn't know they would bring _you_ into this, though."

"You and me both. Explains how you're here but I'm shocked. You mean to tell me that the Council…and the Alliance…abandoned us all?"

Joker nodded glumly, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Shepard felt like hitting something. He felt like smashing everything in sight of him, ripping out the flight console and throwing it out the window, letting the vacuum of space suck everything out while he slammed at the walls of the craft in the hopes that he could break it apart piece by piece.

Throwing tantrums, however, was not the proper response at the time, and Joker was starting to get a little fidgety from the cyborg's intense stare into space. Shepard finally twitched as he glanced back to address Joker.

"All right, then. We'll do it our way. I've lost fifteen months and I don't intend to waste another second. After we get to Omega, I want you to meet up with my old crew. We'll get them back and-"

"Shepard, wait! You can't just get the band back together in this state. I mean, look at you! You had a hard enough time convincing me as it is!"

"That's why I need _you_, Joker. If you're with me I'll have an easier chance of convincing the others to come along. First things first, where's Kaidan?"

Joker looked hopelessly lost, "Shepard, I'm trying to tell you that it's just not possible. Kaidan is still in the Alliance only he's now a Commander as well."

"Same rank I was?"

"The point is, you won't be able to pry him away from his duties because you aren't Alliance."

"Fine, I concede your point. What about Wrex? Last I heard he was-"

"-On Tuchanka. He's still there now but seeing as he hasn't left the planet since, it will be hard to track his movements."

"Liara T'Soni?"

"Left for Illium shortly after you died. There were rumors that she now works for the Shadow Broker which could make her a liability."

"What about Garrus?"

"Disappeared many months ago. No one has seen or heard from him."

Shepard wilted at that. The turian had been a good friend to him over the few months that they'd known each other. He was a brash, overconfident soldier but he listened well and was more than capable on the battlefield. He could have used his help right now. But there was still one more person that he wanted to know about, one name that seemed to jump out of his mouth.

"And…Tali?"

Joker winced, noticeable even to Shepard before he spoke, "She…you should have seen her, Shepard. She was devastated when you died. She would be crying nonstop for days. I think she might have really cared about you at one point. She eventually rejoined her own people and has remained there since."

Shepard was interested at the fact that Tali could have been crying over him but such a thought was vastly inappropriate. There was no reason for him to think that at all when all he wanted when she was aboard was to make her as comfortable as possible as it was her first time being away from the flotilla. There was no real reason that she could possibly have developed feelings for him, could it? Or for that matter, could he have felt something as well?

"_Fine_," he scowled, pushing his conflicted thoughts aside. "It leaves us little choice then. I didn't want to have to consider this before but now I see that it's the only route possible."

"What are you thinking, Shepard?"

If his artificial eyebrow could rise any higher, it would have locked into place, "I could use a drink."

* * *

The Kodiak entered the bay of the _Monolith_ and Rukin swiftly stepped off the shuttle so quickly that he almost barreled over the man who was waiting at the door. Rather than stop to wait for the man, he let him catch up on his own time.

"_Petrovsky_," he said, no bothering to look.

"_Rukin_," the older man said, returning the hostile gesture.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I needed to use your holodeck."

"You should have called ahead, colonel. It is the standard procedure for all arrivals to state-"

"Shut up, Oleg," Rukin snarled as he rounded the corner to face the door he was looking for. Petrovsky stopped and spluttered a response.

"You…you can't talk to me like that! You forget who you're addressing, _colonel_. As a general of Cerberus, I demand the most-"

Rukin whirled, meeting the general head on, "Right now, the Illusive Man is the one demanding of my attention at the moment, _general_. If I don't provide him with a report on this brewing situation, it could very well mean my ass if I don't set myself up in a good light. If you delay me any further, I will make sure that your ass goes in the fire with me. That, I promise you."

Petrovsky smirked, "Had a little trouble with some of his pet projects now, Henry?"

Rukin scowled, there was no way he would take the fall for this, not that this old man would ever see it, "Had I been listened to, there wouldn't _be_ any trouble."

Letting the door of the room slam between them before Petrovsky could utter another word, Rukin furiously stepped onto the holodeck, impatiently willing the scanner to complete its duties. Wasted time is wasted life.

With a crackle of static, Rukin could now behold a dying star in the background as his appearance was projected to the man who currently sat in front of the star, the light shining around his form and casting his features into darkness.

The Illusive Man.

"Colonel Rukin," he started. "This is unexpected. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Rukin had to admit that the Illusive Man carried a very personal air about him, a charismatic atmosphere that made it seem like you were talking to an old friend, no matter how long you had known them. Of course, the effect was lost on Rukin as he had experienced the limits of his boss' patience before. It was not an experience he wished to repeat today.

"Sir," he gulped. "Wayfarer Station has just gone offline. From several recent reports it appears that Banner Station has befallen a similar fate."

The Illusive Man set down the cigarette he was currently enjoying, the smoke wafting up from the arm of the chair, "Both stations destroyed? Do we know the cause?"

There was a hidden tone of urgency in his voice because both men that were talking to the other knew what certain project both stations were working on.

"Yes we do, sir," Rukin paused as if delaying might soften the blow. "Based on security camera recordings, Commander Shepard awoke and killed all of our personnel before escaping to Banner Station. We haven't received any data from there so it's logical to assume that they have fled the area and are long gone."

There was silence for a good ten seconds, each moment causing Rukin to become painfully aware of the sweat starting to bead on his forehead. He could not meet his employer's eyes until he spoke again.

"Do we know the circumstances on how Shepard suddenly awoke?"

Rukin fumbled around on his omni-tool for his exact notes, "Um…yes. It appears that at 0200 a startup ping went undetected by the staff on duty, fatigue most likely causing the laxness. That ping was actually a live brainwave which showed up on the charts because the medical staff was sedating Shepard in erratic intervals, sometimes missing his scheduled doses altogether. When he woke up, it was too late."

"And he escaped after killing everyone in the process. I was assured that these people were professionals. How could this happen, Henry?"

As much as Rukin feared the backlash, he knew that the Illusive Man was lamenting to the only person within reach. It wasn't a direct blame, at least. "I did bring it to your attention, sir, that at least three of the staff on duty had been previously fired from their last jobs for drug abuse and that another employee, a Dr. Wilson, was fired at his job because he allegedly sold trade secrets to rival hospitals. I mentioned all of this in a report but was overridden by Miranda Lawson, with her claim that they were all 'dependable.'"

To corroborate his defense, the Illusive Man was now looking at a report that materialized on top of his lap. He scanned it a few times before responding, "Yes you did, Henry. Rather detailed, I might add. I'm not entirely sure how this slipped by me but it's not a mistake that I care to make again."

_You know damn well how it slipped by you. You sided with Miranda because she was your favorite fucking toy_. Still, he had gotten the Illusive Man to admit that he was wrong, not something that happened very often and the first time it happened in front of Rukin, who felt a burst of satisfaction at that.

The Illusive Man leaned forward slightly, "What happened to Miranda? I would like to know if she would be available to be briefed at her earliest convenience."

Rukin opened his mouth at first but decided that words were cheap and that a picture was worth a thousand of them. He instead synched his omni-tool to the Illusive Man's display and selected the clip he had recorded from the reel of gaffs made on that station.

The Illusive Man's blue eyes widened as the brutal death of Miranda Lawson was replayed over and over again in front of him. The sight of a machine obliterating her face all over the ground had a hypnotizing effect on the man and Rukin shortly stopped it soon after. He waited for the man to speak, fearful that any words out of his own mouth would be a snarky comment that would infringe upon the Illusive Man's bias for his ex-favorite operative.

The Illusive Man stood up in anger, "I want Shepard found. I don't care what it takes, colonel, you have my full support to track that bastard down."

Rukin frowned, "With respect, sir. Shepard could have left the Terminus systems by now. He could be anywhere in the galaxy. We have no means of locating him at the moment."

"His sense of duty will override any act to hide. He knows what's out there, what's coming. In time, he will reveal himself to us, or we will draw him out. And when that time comes, I want you there."

Rukin was flattered at the fact that he was now finally getting the attention he deserved. He probably should have killed Miranda himself a long time ago if that was what it took to incur the man's favor. He was planning his rise up the ranks in his head that he almost didn't catch what the Illusive Man had to say next.

"I'm sending one of my other operatives to you to form part of a command team."

_What was this?_ "Uh, sir. I appreciate the gesture but I believe that I can handle any operational orders on my own. Besides, I have Lieutenant Rosun with me on the _Desperado_, we are more than capable of these duties."

That was partially a lie. Rosun was less than capable of taking orders, never mind giving them. The only thing the man could do was fight as he was a giant, for there being no other word for it. Standing six and a half feet tall, the mere sight of him was an edge in battle, an intimidation factor for his enemies. He preferred brawling as there were no guns that he felt could match the exhilaration of a straight up fight. Different strokes for different folks was Rukin's personal appraisal of the man. If his style worked, then it worked.

"It's not a question of your capability," the Illusive Man intoned. "It's a question of your reliability."

Rukin felt the blood rushing in his ears but made sure to listen as the man continued, "I'll be frank, I've never completely trusted you from the start. You've made some errors early in your tenure that have proven to be rather damaging to this organization. I kept you on because I sensed a cunning leader in there somewhere and I know I'm about to see him. The fact that you have developed oversight for the circumstances regarding Shepard's escape are quite surprising but rather pleasing as they are traits I look for in leaders. You're on your way to become one of Cerberus' greatest warriors but until then, I would like to keep an eye on you for the time being."

As much as his words enraged Rukin, there was some respect in telling the truth to a man's face. It was uncanny how the Illusive Man could have that effect on people, mad at him one moment and adoring him the next. He wondered if he would ever learn that secret someday.

Sensing no resistance from Rukin, the Illusive Man nodded, "I'll see to it that a holodeck is installed on board your ship. I can't imagine that Petrovsky is all that happy at you borrowing his. I'll also send a fleet with my operative. Tracking down the galaxy's most important human is not a job for one ship alone. This has to be a team effort and you need the best at your side."

"Do you have a name for the operative, or should I not even bother calling him by anything except his designation?"

"No, you can say it. His name is Kai Leng. He will meet with you in three days' time. Good luck, colonel."


	4. Chapter 3: Closer Than You Might Think

There were a series of clicks that echoed through the walls of the _Veritas_ craft, shuddering as the momentum slowed to a halt. Another vibration shook the craft as the fuel line connected. The nice thing that Shepard had discovered after waking up was that he still had access to his credit line. Banking was straightforward in Citadel space. Your account was accessible by the account holder, regardless of the fact if you were dead or not. To his pleasant surprise, Shepard had found out that his growth account had accrued quite some credits since he last checked, on top of his enormous personal fortune that he had slowly built up during his last campaign. It was these funds that were currently paying for the fuel that was now guzzling into the tank of the craft.

Both Shepard and Joker stood to await the proper handshake protocols from the docks so that they would be clear to disembark. Before that could happen, Shepard walked down the hallway to the door at the end, with Joker following in interest.

As they passed through the threshold, Joker perked his eyebrows up as he beheld the armory. It was not like the Normandy where lockers simply adjourned the sides of the hangar bay but a dedicated room that held weapons and armor of every conceivable type. Cerberus certainly spared no expense.

Shepard stalked over to a large drawer and pulled out a black bodysuit. After determining that it was the proper size, he stepped into it, careful not to let it catch on any metal part of his body.

"Is there any particular reason you're suiting up, Shepard?" Joker asked. "I mean, it's not like you aren't already compensated in the armor department."

"One good reason, Joker," Shepard replied. "My appearance would not be so well received anywhere in the galaxy, much less Omega. The only way around this is the fact that I have to conceal myself entirely. Might as well put some of this armor to good use."

There were a few assorted pieces of a light armor that were in a bin next to the drawer. Shepard slid them on over the suit, adjusting them to the diagnostics in his body. A heavy set of armor was not necessary as he already had enough protection. All that matters was its ability to disguise. Selecting a helmet marked "Phantom," the HUD briefly blinked to life before him until he shut it off, the symbols were cluttering his vision.

Someone had also left something behind on this ship, Shepard noticed. While the armor was a good start, it was rather lacking in the overall presentation aspect. Gently removing it from the hanger, he slipped the black trench coat over his entire body. If he didn't look intimidating before, he certainly did now.

Joker whistled, "Badass, Shepard. You've gone from a mobility mech to a hard-edged killer."

Shepard slowly tilted his head to gaze in Joker's direction, not saying a word. He knew that the man was trying to lighten the overall mood but the jabs were still too fresh, too raw. He briskly walked out from the room, after grabbing an Avenger assault rifle in addition to his pistol, and strode over to the airlock. There were no advanced decontamination protocols and the doors merely slid open. What surprised both men was the fact that they had a welcoming party at the gate.

"You've made an unscheduled stop, human," a batarian growled as they approached. "Aria wants to know why."

Shepard snorted, "I wasn't aware I had to report my movements _here_. Tell Aria to mind her own business."

It was probably not a good idea to antagonize the first people he met on this station but Shepard was not in the mood for any lip. Also contributing to his indignation was the fact that he never particularly cared for batarians. He had seen enough of them during the Skyllian Blitz and felt that their indignant attitude towards humans made them untrustworthy and rather pathetic. Sore losers still smarting after they got swatted in the rear. Shepard never displayed any xenophobic tendencies but he made occasional exceptions for batarians.

Also not a good idea was to ignore any requests from Aria T'Loak. She was the most influential figure on Omega, some even considered her its ruler. Omega, by itself, had no form of government but Aria was the glue that held everything together. She had control over the eezo mines, had the largest amount of forces at her disposal, and was the most powerful biotic in the Terminus systems. So, any further antagonizing was only going to shorten his lifespan further.

"_You_ landed on Omega, human," the batarian snarled. "That makes it Aria's business. She wants to see you in Afterlife. Try not to keep her waiting."

Before Shepard could hurl an insult, the batarian walked off, most likely to harass someone else. Shaking his head, he walked off the bay and into the grand market. The Omega skyline was nothing more than a series of rusty columns hidden behind a coppery haze of dust. Everything was in a dilapidated state and everyone was packing. Any ambassador who was used to the squeaky clean and polished hallways of the Presidium would have had a heart attack had they been forced to vacation here for an hour. There was no other word for it: Omega was a hellhole.

Conveniently, the words "Afterlife" shone in bright red letters adorning a singular door. Shepard could see a line of people massing in front of it while a patient elcor bouncer continued to refuse access. So, Afterlife was most likely a club and a popular one at that. But, then again, if Aria was involved then it was going to be popular regardless.

Shepard and Joker walked past the long line, drawing a few looks of ire as they approached the batarian bouncer next to the door. The batarian nodded and allowed them entry, most likely alerted by his companion at the gate. The hallway beyond was flickering with LED lights only partaking the spectrum of warm colors. Electronic flames licked the walls and people sat in plush chairs down the hall. One particular batarian got up from his chair and started to make a move toward Joker, his intentions less than ideal, but Shepard threw out a fist and the batarian was knocked back into his friends. He hadn't hit the man as hard as he could because killing someone on Aria's turf would require an awkward explanation. Besides, a broken jaw might discourage him from picking on humans in the future.

The main doors to the establishment opened and Shepard blinked underneath the helmet. The interior was large and carried the same color scheme from the hallway. A huge cylindrical stage sat in the middle, an asari was demonstrating her pole-dancing technique for all to see. Large, pink screens were showing some music video that was popular now, the images jumbled and nonsensical that made Shepard figure that you had to be high to make sense of it. The music itself was terrible, it was just a sequence of electronic beats and noises that were endlessly looped until the DJ was sober enough to change the song. Joker immediately sidled off to the bar to procure a drink while Shepard headed towards the entrance to the balcony that hung over the establishment.

The turian bodyguard let him pass after a skeptical glance and soon enough Shepard found himself before the Queen of Omega: Aria T'Loak. Before he could speak, a batarian waved an omni-tool near him, a scan most likely. The batarian's eyes widened at the results and he quickly backed over to Aria. Shepard knew what he was talking about. The fact that his artificial body would easily be detected by a simple scan would cause consternation among those who decided to pry a bit further. He just hoped that their paranoia would not escalate into him having to kill anyone.

Aria turned around, scowling. She was an asari, her skin a deep purple. Her clothing had some unfamiliar insignia on it, the white and black pattern reminding Shepard vaguely of leather. There were particular parts of her outfit that revealed skin in odd places but was still conservative in this environment compared to the dancers.

She crossed her arms, "It's been a long time since the name was mentioned in my presence, but I'm rather curious to see the famed Commander Shepard before me."

He was glad that he wore the helmet, even though he could no longer convey the expression of shock, "You know who I am?"

The asari sat down on her plush couch, "You're not as subtle as you think. Despite how well you think you can hide yourself, there are ways to determine exactly _who_ is in that body."

She waved most of her guards away except the batarian who shuffled off to the corner. Aria tilted her head for him to sit down so he moved over to the side of the couch that was facing toward her. Shepard reclined, as did Aria, "My being alive is not exactly public knowledge."

"I'm well aware of that. Even though it does surprise me to see you here, in my club. I'm curious, what brings Commander Shepard to Omega?"

Shepard shrugged, "It's coincidental, Aria. My ship needed fuel, that's all. But please, don't call me 'Commander.' I'm not in the Alliance anymore and I consider the title an insult now."

"That's a far cry from the boy scout I've heard so much about. Did you find out the dark truth of this galaxy the hard way?"

"In more ways than one."

"About that," Aria leaned forward. "Since Bray here presented your scan to me, we were both equally interested in the fact that you seemed to have arrived in a…different form. So to speak. Before we continue, I have to mention that I don't like people who wear helmets in my presence. I will admit that it's a discomforting tic that I don't usually mention but I would have to ask that you remove it for now."

"Are you really sure about that, Aria?" he said in a whisper.

"You don't like it, you can leave. But I suspect that there is an underlying motive why you took up my request for an audience. You may have acted tough out on the docks but you came nonetheless. And to leave now would defeat the purpose of coming here altogether. I will not ask again: _remove your helmet_."

If there was anyone who was least affected by this development, it was Shepard. If Aria wanted to be unsettled for the duration of their conversation, that was on her head. There was no alternative to the situation and Shepard raised his arms and slowly lifted the black covering off his head with a _hiss_. As he set it down, he noted with some amusement that the batarian's four eyes had widened in shock while Aria seemed a bit perturbed by his appearance. Despite the asari's long lifespan, he guessed that she had never seen such a horrifying sight as the silver and black head gazed back at her with the same intensity.

"My, my, Shepard," Aria said softly. "You _are_ full of surprises."

"Happy now?" He was fighting to control his impulse to roll his eyes at her smirk.

"No…not really," she admitted. "The Alliance certainly did a job on you, that's for certain."

"It wasn't the Alliance who did this," he corrected. "It was a human terrorist group called Cerberus. The Alliance left me to die which is why I'm not back with them. Maybe someday I'll go and see for myself the reasons why they did nothing, why my crew was disbanded." He slowly blinked as he paused for a breath, "But right now, hurting Cerberus is at the top of my priority list."

"_Cerberus_…" she grimaced, staring off into space. "They would go to the trouble to bring you back, which means…"

"Trust me, I'm not with them, Aria. I resent the fact that _they_ were the ones who revived me, to be some pawn in their campaign of galactic conquest. In fact, all I've done since I've awakened was kill legions of their troops. I don't support their methods nor do I wish to collaborate with them. Cerberus put me in this body as a means to control who I was. They failed and I will stop at nothing to make them pay for their mistake."

Aria smiled, the gesture did give him some relief that she believed his story but it was also a cold and cruel smirk. Shepard now understood that Aria was most certainly a force not to cross which made it better that she found sympathy in his plight.

"I have no love for Cerberus myself," she said. "Their short-sighted goals and xenophobic tendencies haven't sat well with Omega in the past. It usually isn't my place to get involved in such matters but ever since they manned an outpost here it has felt like there's been an itch I could never scratch"

"Cerberus has a base here?" Shepard sat forward, interested.

"A small one, yet it is large enough to garner complaints from local residents. You had another reason for coming here, Shepard. This is it, you want to destroy Cerberus one outpost at a time. You take care of that base for me and there might be some compensation for you."

"What are we talking about?"

"Credits, weapons, eezo, information. You name it, I'll give it."

"Send me the location and I'll take care of it." Having Aria in one's debt was an opportunity that few could afford to pass up.

Aria swiftly typed a set of commands into her omni-tool and Shepard's own display blinked as he received a new message. Aria then cocked an eyebrow in appraisal.

"You going to take on the base by yourself?"

"Is that a cause for concern?"

"I would have thought that _Shepard_ would utilize members of a team for a high risk job such as this."

"Yeah, well. That 'team' no longer exists."

"You can always start a new one. I have an idea for someone who shares some interests with you." She leaned back, "There is a vigilante on board this station named 'Archangel.' For months he's been a thorn in the gangs that are based on this station. He and his team have hit several operations concerning operations that even I consider to be low. He would do well as a potential ally."

"So he administers street justice, in a sense?"

"Pretty much the idea. He hasn't crossed me yet and I don't think he's stupid enough to ever make that mistake so I see no quarrel with letting him continue. Out of all the things he's broken on Omega, he hasn't managed to break its one rule."

"And what rule would that be?" Shepard reached for a decanter on the table opposite him. Filling a glass of whatever liquor was encased in its depths, he brought the drink to his metal mouth and quickly downed the liquid. The flesh of his esophagus (an organ that had been transferred) burned but there was no flavor to accompany the sensation. His vision hardly took a dive as the faint blur only lasted a few seconds before his mind felt sharp again.

Aria simply smiled at the disturbing sight of a mech downing a drink, "Don't fuck with Aria."

Shepard shrugged as he set the glass down, "Easy to remember. Where can I find him?"

"I heard that the Blue Suns have set up an ambush at the docks near here. They're transferring cargo loads of red sand to be distributed throughout the system. Knowing Archangel, he'll be there, but the mercs will be waiting. Time is ticking so you'd better hurry if you want to save him."

* * *

Tali's transition from sleep came gradually this time, which was a relief. The past few weeks had given rise to the day that the Normandy was destroyed, each night she got to experience that trauma over and over again. And now, tonight, there was nothing.

She didn't really know if this was a good thing. Could it mean that it was time for her to move on, to put aside the fond memories she had? She still didn't know if she could do that. Tali terribly missed her friends but every time she thought of them, she could only see Shepard.

_Why am even I thinking of him? He never saw how I felt, let alone knew what I desired. It was never going to happen._

Tali threw her feet over the side of the bed as she loudly sighed. This was hopeless, she couldn't go on living like this, doused in her misery. Everyone on board the _Rayya_ was nice, sure, but they lacked that certain spark, that willingness to listen…to be a good _friend_.

Her door abruptly slid open and Tali glanced toward the entrance and was completely shocked when a familiar red form stepped inside. The male quarian gave off the air of importance but his body language was softened as he beheld the woman on the bed.

"_Father_!" Tali exclaimed, quickly standing to her feet. "I…I didn't know you were on board! If you had _told_ me…"

"Calm down, Tali," Rael'Zorah held up a hand. "It was an unscheduled stop. I needed to check the worthiness of the liveships to report to the other admirals, but I thought I'd see my daughter now that I was here."

_It was only coincidental that he stopped by. He would have never visited me otherwise._

"So…" she stammered. "How did it look?"

Rael straightened, "As well as can be expected at this point. Captain Dar'Kanna kept on saying good things about you during my inspections, which was nice to hear. I hope you do know that you make me proud every day, Tali."

Words of pride like that were very rare coming from Rael. Despite her initial anger, Tali could feel herself glowing as well.

"That's…that's fantastic! I only want to do my part to help the fleet any way I can." A practiced response, which hopefully showed her devotion to the fleet as much as her father expected. Personal time was never personal, with Rael it was all business. He seemed to take her statement with satisfaction.

"Good…" he murmured. "Good…"

They stood in silence for a few awkward minutes. Both nervously twitched and tugged at folds in their suits, trying to focus their attention elsewhere. It truly amazed Tali that after weeks on end without seeing her own father, he comes to her on his own accord and runs out of things to say in the first few minutes. It never failed to enrage her.

"Is…there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Hmm?" Rael said, distracted from his thoughts. "Oh…no, Tali. I just wanted to see you before I left, to see how you've acclimated to the new environment."

_Bosh'tet, he never paid attention to me even when I was growing up in the same room where he was working!_

Thankfully the visors prevented organics, even quarians, from masking their displeasure or even disgust as the admiral continued to drone on, "…I know that you might have enjoyed working on that human vessel but I'm glad to see that you've finally realized where you belong. The fleet needs you, we all need you."

_You knew nothing about what we were doing! We were out saving the galaxy while you continuously convince yourself that the work you were doing was more important. I belonged on the Normandy, not here. And why won't you ever say 'I need you?' or 'I love you?' That is something a real father would say. What a real friend would say…_

Rael tilted his head as he thought he detected some hesitation from his daughter, "Is something the matter, Tali?"

_No, of course nothing's the matter. Other than the fact that I've been doing mundane work for over half a year, the fact that you are unable to convince me that you actually care about me, and the fact that I thought I loved someone before he was taken from me. Why would you think such a thing?_

"No, father," Tali shook her head vigorously. "Nothing at all."

"Well, that's good," Rael said in his absentminded fashion. "You know, if you wanted to take a break from your engineering duties, you can always request to be in my unit. We're doing important work and I know-"

"Thank you, father," Tali said with a false smile, not that anyone could see it. "But if Captain Danna consistently says good things about me then I believe I would be of more help if I remained on the _Rayya_. For the…good of the fleet, of course."

"Of course, of course," Rael nodded, completely taking the lie. "Working on the liveship _is_ a noble job and if you think that your skills were more advantageous aboard the _Rayya_ then, by all means, stay. But, if you ever want a change of scenery, let me know. I have no doubt that you'll be exceptional with my team."

Before she could say goodbye, he merely gave a nod and backed out of her room, leaving Tali alone with her thoughts. Just like her father, he was never the sort to gush his love for anyone, including his family. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember a time when he was particularly sentimental, even when her mother was alive. She shook her head as she gathered up her things for the day. Everything was still dreadfully normal in her secluded little world and nothing would come to break her out of it.

But maybe that was what Tali needed. Maybe a glimpse into her past would help her cope, share some laughs with old friends and hope that it could break the monotonous spell of her work week. Perhaps, after her shift was over, she would give Liara a call, see if she was around. She always got along with the asari archeologist and was certainly a better conversationalist than Garrus, or Wrex.

Perking up from her thoughts, she locked her quarters and walked to her assigned deck with a little more confidence this time.

* * *

Rukin casually flicked his finger across the datapad, skimming the file that the Illusive Man had sent him. It took a lot to impress Rukin in this day and age but Shepard's dossier was the most remarkable resume that he had ever seen.

_Born on Earth, practically winning the Blitz, served on the most advanced human vessel, fought geth, fought a rogue Spectre, and now an unstoppable war machine? This man has achieved what ten men couldn't even hope to accomplish in one lifetime._

The file came with subfolders that contained information on the members of the crew that Shepard worked with. There were some niggling issues with the circumstances surrounding them at the moment but they were issues that he wished to go over when his quorum of at least one confidant was nearby. That automatically left Rosun out of the equation, the dumbass couldn't even figure out a standard flanking maneuver but he somehow knew of ten different ways to kill a man, all involving the snapping of the neck. It was a combination of smarts and stupidity that baffled Rukin repeatedly and it was only though the man's skill in combat that he hadn't spaced Rosun out the airlock yet.

The door to the conference room opened and in walked a slim, Asian man. He had beady eyes and wore some kind of specialized body armor. Rukin arched his eyebrows at this but he now had his quorum so he couldn't complain.

He set the datapad down as the man saluted, "Operative Leng reporting in, colonel."

Rukin mentally smirked; the fact that he was the one being saluted meant that the Illusive Man had already gone over the chain of command with Leng. He was still in charge, which was a good sign although he really needed to look up the official rank of Operative as it seemed it had a loose terminology within Cerberus. "At ease, Operative."

The man complied and Rukin eyed him over. Leng wasn't powerfully built like Rosun, or even on the same stature as Rukin. He reminded himself that to obtain the title of operative, size alone wasn't a factor as he knew that Leng was more than capable of killing him without resorting to brute strength. But Rukin also had some tricks up his sleeve.

Leng never broke eye contact with Rukin, "I have brought twenty ships that were drawn from the 3rd, 21st and 34th fleets. The Illusive Man sends his regards, Colonel Rukin."

Rukin crossed his arms, "What exactly did he say about me, Leng? Be honest, I'm trying to paint a picture of you as a person."

Leng briefly frowned, "He said that you tended to have a reckless streak, were incompetent in certain situations and were untrustworthy as well."

Rukin sincerely hoped there was more to his character than that and merely waited until Leng continued, "He did mention that you were a talented combatant, had an excellent success rate, and that your string of recent accomplishments have proven to him that you are trying to make a good impression, a trait that he _has_ noticed, by the way."

It sounded right to Rukin, "And, Kai Leng, I have heard and read a lot about you. Enlisted in the Alliance at 16, using falsified papers, incarcerated for murder during shore leave and liberated for your skills in combat along foryour xenophobic tendencies. All that right there gives me the information I need. You're not hard to read, Leng. You're a merciless bastard, ruthless, and your hatred of aliens is so overpowering that it might just be blinding you. But you're efficient and honest and in our line of work the two rarely go hand in hand."

"Should my xenophobia really come as a surprise to you in our organization?" Leng spat.

Rukin shrugged, "It depends. While Cerberus' goal is to elevate humanity, blatant racism can only get us so far."

One of the characteristics that Rukin never really agreed with was Cerberus' stance on alien relations. While it was true that he thought that humanity deserved its time in the spotlight, it didn't necessarily mean deliberately going out of your way to step on every species just because you thought you were better. If they got in your way then stomping season was in. Hell, Rukin had previously been with a few asari in his life and he thought nothing of it. If two people wanted to spend the night together, regardless of their species, then they had that right. Leng worried Rukin because he knew that he would go for maximum carnage whether it was appropriate or not. He would just as soon kill an asari escort for merely approaching him for a good time. He wondered who was the real loose cannon in the room.

Leng shook his head, "Humanity goes first, no matter the cost. We do the hard things the Alliance is unwilling to do for the good of our species because-"

Oh great, the man was starting to rant. This was getting off topic. "Listen, Leng," Rukin interrupted. "We can discuss our personal views later. You say that we were given a fleet of twenty ships to use at our discretion. Notice that I'm using 'we' because the Illusive Man, despite his assurance of my operational command, is ghost-directing this entire operation. I know that he has you here to spy on me so I'll be relying on your input for any decisions that get passed on this mission, all right?"

"Yes, sir," the man could be taught, it seems.

"Good," Rukin slid the datapad across the table. "Now, you're aware that we have to track down Commander Shepard after he rather unexpectedly escaped a secure facility."

"I read the report. Lawson was a fool for trying to wrest control of the project entirely."

"Well, we are agreed on that. But it's a moot point, Shepard is still out there and we need to find him. Trouble is, we don't know where he is. Our current cells are widespread but too isolated to allow for a proper net. Knowing the man's resourcefulness, it could be a while before we get a bead on him."

"So draw him out."

"My thoughts exactly," Rukin gestured for the man to pick up the datapad, to which he complied. "I've been given a dossier on Shepard. My idea is to go after one or more of the people on this list. Shepard will most likely try to reconnect with his former crew and will most likely catch wind of any attempt against them. This will cause him to come to us rather than needlessly chase him across the galaxy."

"Have you picked a target?"

"For the most part. The first name, the one right here? Commander Kaiden Alenko is not an option due to his standing as an officer in the Alliance military. It will be difficult to separate him from his post without excess collateral damage so we're not considering him. Also the krogan, one Urdnot Wrex, is also off the list because he's currently based on Tuchanka. Human relations with the krogan are…strained to say the least and there's too much at risk by traveling to the krogan homeworld so we're not going."

"That leaves three on the list."

"I'm getting there. The asari, Liara T'Soni, seems like our best option. Constant reports place her within a small operating area on Illium. It wouldn't take much to locate her but we would have to leak the fact that we would be planning an attempt-"

"What about the other two?" Leng interrupted.

"Oh, um…let's see…Garrus Vakarian, ex C-Sec, has gone off the grid. At this point he would be just as difficult to locate as Shepard."

"And this last one?" Leng held up the datapad so Rukin could see, even though the gesture was wasted as he had memorized it entirely.

"Tali'Zorah nar Rayya," Rukin said. "Currently she is aboard one of the quarian liveships in the Far Rim. The fleet's movements are always being tracked so we always know where she is-"

"She's the one," Leng announced.

"She…what?" Rukin tilted his head.

"We go after _her_."

Rukin frowned, "I think that T'Soni would be a better alternative due to the minimal use of resources-"

"We have a wealth of resources to draw from. We only need to find and capture Shepard. Everyone else is expendable. We can jump into the system and swiftly board the ship. The quarians would never fire on one of their own ships, they're too miserly for that. It would be a ground war at that point. We go in, stir up the nest, and wait for Shepard to arrive."

_Why am I getting the feeling that Leng is vying for this because he will get to kill as many aliens as possible?_

Rukin decided not to press the matter, Shepard was the goal and he was tasked with doing whatever it took to get him back into Cerberus' arms. "Regardless," he coughed. "We would have to send a leak out to our units for a select mobilization-"

"Do what you want," Leng shrugged. "But this is what we will do. Shepard will do anything to protect one of his crew, regardless of the species unfortunately, which will bring him into our clutches. Are we agreed on that?"

Rukin debated the merits of Leng's thinking. Sure, he was a bloodthirsty bastard, but he was also practical. A full scale invasion of the quarian fleet would stir up more attention, make it more noticeable to Shepard, and could potentially result in some badly needed propaganda for the troops. On the other hand, the mission had such a high probability of failure due to the number of unknown variables involved. They didn't know the layout of the Rayya, they didn't know how many troops the enormous ship had, and they did not know if they would find Zorah in time or if Shepard would show up at all. It sounded like a suicide mission, but there weren't that many viable choices.

"Agreed."


	5. Chapter 4: Scoped Out the Bar

The wind billowed Shepard's coat as he sat atop the skycycle, peering intently at the scene a few hundred meters away. His helmet had been promptly put back into place after leaving Aria's presence, he didn't like the idea of exposing his true form to everyone as of yet. Being a sack of organs encased in a metal body takes some time to get used to.

Upon leaving Afterlife, he had told Joker to go back to the ship and await further instructions, to which the thin man complied, clearly wanting to get back to the safe confines of the vessel.

Shepard had then walked over to a nearby lot, intending to procure a vehicle. There were several places where you could rent a vehicle, you just had to stay clear of the independent establishments run by the scalpers. Apparently a local businessman (or businesselcor, if the term so applied) had something of a monopoly of most of the enterprises in the area. Their respective managers were shrewd but not impervious to a bit of haggling. Even though Shepard could easily afford to buy out the entire rental place, he didn't mind resorting to smooth talking in an effort to drop the price down for a skycycle a bit.

Called "swoops" by the local enthusiasts, skycycles were rather popular amongst the young crowd. Shepard hadn't seen many before as there were few areas he had visited where they were allowed. Skycycles were deemed illegal by several governments (particularly on the Citadel) for being unsafe, with its open air design and incredible speed. You could easily catch your head on the side of the wall and lop it off and have the still traveling cycle go on, potentially lopping off more heads along the way.

Such concerns had never bothered Shepard before and even less so now. So he took the opportunity to enjoy the adrenaline rush that he miraculously managed to feel from the way he sped through the dizzying heights of Omega. Emotion was good, it reminded him that he was not completely a robot.

When he had reached half a mile from where Aria said the ambush would take place, he slowed on top of a nearby platform. While he still desired to go off alone on this job, Aria did have a point. He needed a team, whether he liked it or not. Although, he would have to see for himself whether this "Archangel" was worth the trouble of procurement. He used his optical zoom to focus in on what the location would be and saw that it presented a wealth of problems.

The docks of Omega tend not to rank highly on many shippers' "best of" lists for its reputation of negligent workers, exorbitant docking fees, and overall long cycle times. Shippers avoided Omega like the plague and their hunches were pretty much always right in regards to its unsavory business practices. This time, the ship currently docked now didn't look like it was in the process of unloading, but there were several mercenaries operating forklifts of crates _onto_ it.

Without the need for any external optics, Shepard could switch his attention between situations very quickly. His eyes darted from one mercenary to the next, mentally scanning every detail about them. The Blue Suns' trademark blue armor was a staple of their franchise, a badge of honor for every member in the organization. They often advertised themselves as a private military organization when they were nothing more than a gang of mercenaries. They were one of the three biggest outfits in the Terminus, often competing with the Eclipse and Blood Pack for contracts in the area.

At the moment, something was off from the so-called "professional" conduct that these soldiers exhibited. They seemed rather relaxed as if they weren't aware that they were participating in an ambush. It's not like these guys were competent actors, they were men with itchy trigger fingers. It was then that Shepard realized that these guys were merely bait. The real trap for Archangel lay elsewhere.

Shepard started to glance in all directions covering the port, peering through countless beams and stacks of crates that lay below him. His optics furiously whirled as he tried to detect any form of movement from down below. An idea popped into his head and he ran the subroutine that activated his thermal imaging.

His world turned shades of red and blue as the heat from several sources popped out at him. He could see the men down by the ship easily enough, and just above them, a lone heat source. That had to be Archangel. But, over on the far side of the dock, there were at least twenty red blobs that were huddled behind a series of crates, completely shielded from Archangel's superior position. Shepard gave a small laugh as he deactivated the thermal, looking at the men in the visible spectrum.

"Clever," he said to himself. "But not clever enough."

Stepping off the skycycle, he flipped open the autopilot function and typed in a series of coordinates. Using a remote hack, he disabled the vehicle's safety protocols, namely the ones preventing an automatic slowdown if an object is detected a hundred meters in front of it. As if that wasn't enough, he fished in one of his pockets for a sticky grenade which he plastered onto the side of it.

He looked up at where Archangel was, trying to read what the man was thinking at the moment. He shrugged his shoulders as he typed in a singular command, the skycycle immediately shooting away towards the mercs behind the crates. It wouldn't do if Archangel was the one surprised, would it? Besides, if the man was at all a professional, he would adapt to this change in plan.

Shepard was already running along the catwalk, away from Archangel and towards the group of hidden mercs when he saw a bright orange fireball blossom in front of him. That had to be the skycycle gate-crashing their party. Behind him he now heard the sharp reports of a sniper rifle. Archangel was already going to work.

Not looking to see how far the drop was, Shepard vaulted over the railing and down to the ground some fifty meters below. His legs took the impact in stride, shock absorbers depressing and hissing when they stretched back. He looked around the small area and was shocked at the carnage. A crater lay feet from where he stood, along with the scattered remains of mercs. A charred arm lay nearby and Shepard's thermals only picked up five individuals who had survived the blast. So much for the ambush.

He unhooked his pistol and walked over to the nearest man, who was trying to crawl away on a pair of severed legs. They had been blown off from the explosion but the heat and flames had cauterized the wounds. He didn't die from those injuries, but from the bullet that had been placed in his brain so suddenly that he never knew what had happened.

Shepard repeated the process on the last four Blue Suns mercenaries, each one still unable to stand after the blast had bowled them over. Each shot was to the head, each time blood splattered all over him. It wasn't a pretty job, this. His life, for the most part, was never glamorous as the vids made it out to be. He had been surrounded by blood and guts his whole life, what were a few more people going to accomplish to his psyche in a negative fashion? Shepard was so desensitized to the violence that seeing random people in pain never even triggered an empathetic response from him. It was routine, it was a duty.

Foul deeds finished, Shepard returned to the nearest ladder and made the long climb back up to the footway. He figured that now was as good a time as any to reveal himself to Archangel. Surely he had to know that there was company tonight.

Following the continuous barks of a powerful rifle, Shepard turned the corner to see a turian in a blue set of full armor calmly pick off the last of the mercenaries down below. One of the fallen troopers turned over a crate in his death throes which released a reddish cloud of dust into the air. Red sand, an illegal substance in most of the galaxy and quite addictive.

The turian slowly stood up as he noticed that someone was watching him. Based on the fact that Shepard carried no insignia on his all black armor and that his weapons were currently holstered, the turian seemed to relax in his presence and walked over to him.

"It seems that thanks are in order," the turian rasped. The voice was slightly muffled by the helmet but the traditional flanged speech pattern was conveyed just fine. "I probably would never have noticed those idiots snooping over there."

Shepard gave a shrug, "It pays to scout the area fully before engaging. I was led to believe that you commanded a team and yet I find none here."

"This was a personal mission. I was informed that the leader of the Suns on Omega was in this area and I wanted to take him out alone. No sense in endangering the lives of my men for something as petty as good old-fashioned payback."

The turian's logic made sense but there was still a hint of amateurism from the man as a whole. Failing to map the area? Taking on an entire battalion by himself? The whole thing reeked of recklessness.

The turian's helmet tipped, "You sound familiar for some reason. Have we…met before?"

Shepard cursed himself for not changing the filter for his voice. His normal pitch was still seeping out from the helmet's vocabulator but he couldn't very well change it _now_. It was a complete oversight on his part and he was conflicted right there. He didn't know how many people were familiar with his voice but he surmised that, thanks to the extranet, he was now the most recognizable person in the galaxy. Someone would recognize his voice sooner or later, hopefully never again after this encounter.

Before he could reply, a light suddenly shined down on them as a roaring noise echoed through the dock. Archangel threw up a hand to shield himself from the glare while Shepard made no such move, his optics filtering the light accordingly. He could see that the source belonged to a Mantis gunship, marked with a blue insignia. No questions on whom it belonged to. There was a whirring sound and suddenly the mounted gun on the front blazed with a fury which sent the human and turian in its path scrambling for cover.

"Archangel!" The voice from the loudspeaker was deep and male, most likely a batarian. "You don't fuck with the Blue Suns, you son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you and your friend right here, right now! Come on!"

"Friend of yours?" Shepard asked coolly.

"My mission," the turian replied simply. "I've been smashing up Tarak's operations for months and he finally has the guts to take me on. You didn't have to get yourself involved in this."

"I had no choice. Trouble seems to find me wherever I go."

The turian huffed a laugh as he scanned the air for the Mantis, "Sounds like someone I used to know. In any case, we should get out of here before he gets a bead on us."

"Switch to armor-piercing rounds while you're at it. They'll do much more damage against armor."

"Good thinking."

Both scrambled down a set of stairs as they could hear the Mantis in the distance. With a roar of rage, Tarak maneuvered the craft around the cranes, giving Shepard and Archangel a clear shot. Bullets impacted on the surface of the Mantis, causing flames to gout out from breaches near the engine. Tarak cursed and tilted the craft out of range to muster another attack.

"Good shots," Shepard said admiringly as he glanced at Archangel. "Turian military teach you that?"

"Some of it," Archangel admitted. "But I did have a teacher who was a better educator at anything they ever taught me back on Palaven."

"Care to explain?"

"When we're done her- oh crap, get down!"

A missile streaked overhead, causing both of them to go prone on the catwalk. Tarak had returned and he was more desperate than ever. The Mantis unloaded every single piece of ammunition it had in that one moment in its blind haste to eliminate the annoying pests in front of it.

Archangel stood up and fired once with his sniper and hooted in delight once he saw the canopy shatter from the precise shot. From within, Tarak howled and wheeled the gun about. The turian barely had time to cry out before a huge spark caused his head to snap back, shields taking the impact but leaving his visor cracked.

Shepard fumed as he also stood, in defense of a fallen comrade. His Avenger snapped three times and three bursts of blood came from the batarian seated in the Mantis, two in the heart, one in the head. As the interior of the craft became coated with blood, it started to tilt and eventually smashed into a stack of crates, a horrendous crash that could have shaken the entire station for what it was worth.

Shepard dropped to a knee and began to pry off the helmet of the turian. It came off easily and his injured side, the side where he was shot, looked relatively undamaged. It was only when he fully turned his head toward him that Shepard's mouth dropped, hidden inside his helmet but his brain frozen in total and utter shock.

"_Garrus_? Is…..is that you?"

The turian opened his eyes slowly before his voice came in a low growl, "Not many people have called me Garrus in a long time, aside from the people I call my compatriots. The fact that you know me other than Archangel and that you made a shot I've only seen one other person make in my life tells me one thing."

Slowly sitting up, the turian never broke eye contact with the black helmet in front of him, "You sought me out, you took charge of a situation that I thought I had under control. This situation is eerily familiar and I would write it off as a complete coincidence had it not been for one other factor, your voice."

The turian's mandibles twitched in triumph, "You know who I am…and I know who you are, _Commander Shepard_. Are you going to sit there or can you indulge me in seeing an old friend again?"

With Shepard mentally promising to never underestimate a C-Sec detective ever again, he lifted the helmet off his head and blinked at the freedom that his head now had to explore. Garrus, as expected, twitched in shock when he saw that underneath the helmet was nothing more than a metal head, colored silver and black, with two orange eyes glowing at him. Before the turian could croak out a word, Shepard raised a hand.

"Despite my appearance, Garrus, you were right the first time. But please, it's just 'Shepard' to you."

Garrus shook his head in utter confusion, "What? H-How…?" His assurance was dissipating rapidly by the second, Shepard's appearance completely taking him off guard.

Shepard decided to try a different tactic, "It was clever of you to draw the parallel between here and what happened at Dr. Michel's clinic. I was actually reminded of that brash, young turian that I ran into a couple years ago that I initially thought it _was_ you at first. I guess you never really changed, huh, Garrus?"

"I don't _believe it_," Garrus gasped. "You…act like you've known me since…How do I know that you're not some mech that's been programmed with his memories?" Garrus drew a pistol as he suddenly stood, sounding close to tears, "Well? Do you have an answer?"

Shepard groaned loudly, "Why is it that when every time I run into someone I know their first instinct is to put a gun _in front of my face_?" Garrus flinched at that so he continued, "Whatever, we have the time for it so ask your questions, I'm all ears."

The turian was frozen, completely nonplussed.

"_All right_," Shepard sighed. "I guess I'll start without you. Oh, I know where to begin, how about that time when I was driving the Mako on Noveria? You were so miserable because of the combination of geth shooting at us and the blizzard that you thought you were going to be killed, if my terrible driving didn't kill you first. Or what about the time when you told me about Dr. Saleon and those experiments he was running. Cloning organs inside living people if I recall. You don't remember us tracking him down and me having to shoot him when he pulled a gun on you? Remember? Because I do. And what about that one time-"

"STOP!" Garrus shouted, breathing hard. "Just…stop, Shepard. I…I can't take this…How are you _alive_? And what is this…thing?"

Shepard stood to match the turian, grasping his arm in the traditional welcome, "I only woke up two days ago, my friend. I was rebuilt by Cerberus into this metal body. It isn't glamorous, I'm only a sack of organs encased in metal. But it is what it is. At the very least, I'm very glad to see you, even if I didn't know it was you at first."

Garrus stood still for a moment before encasing the metal human in an enormous bear hug. "I'll be damned!" he shouted gleefully. "You're alive, you magnificent bastard! I don't care how, but you're alive!"

The turian was bouncing up and down in glee and he playfully punched his friend, "_Spirits_, Shepard…You have no idea what this means…"

Shepard laughed, "I have a notion, Vakarian."

"But we've…you said you've been questioned before." Garrus leaned in close, "Who else have you met before me? Was it Tali?"

Shepard cocked an eyebrow in confusion, "No…it was Joker. Why would it be Tali?"

Garrus quickly shrugged, "Just a guess, but how is that other damnable human?"

There was more to Garrus' hasty gesture but Shepard decided to let it go for the time being, "He's with me, if you can believe it. We've got a ship that we're living out of now. Nothing as glamorous as the Normandy but it does suffice."

"But why did you even come here in the first place? You mentioned me being here like you had been tipped off or something, but none of my men would have given you my location, so who was it?"

"It was Aria," Shepard admitted. "She was keeping tabs on you and she recommended you to me when I said I would rectify a problem on this station."

"Ah, of course. I've been careful not to get involved in anything with Aria so it would make sense that she's keeping a watchful eye on me. But, when you say 'rectify a problem' what do you really mean?"

"I mean, Garrus," Shepard growled, "That the group who brought me back to life, Cerberus, has a station on Omega. I'm going to smash it to bits and I think I could use some help on that front."

Garrus looked surprised, "_Cerberus_ brought you back. Hell, Shepard, _that's_ not really a way to show your gratitude."

Shepard took the light sarcasm in stride, "I remember the sick experiments they were doing. I remember all of the assassinations they've carried out over the years. I made it expressly clear that I wouldn't work with them and now they reap what they sow."

"Coming back to bite them in the ass," Garrus crowed. "I like it. I'll help you out on this, Shepard, but I have a question. Once you're done with that, what do you plan on doing next?"

"Most likely find the next Cerberus base and smash that one too, why?"

"You think there's room on your ship for one more?"

* * *

"Oh, no way!" Joker laughed. "You're kidding me, Shepard! Out of all the poor bastards you could have ran into, it was _him_?"

"Good to see you too, you miserable cripple," Garrus chuckled as he held a hand out in greeting. Joker clutched the offered appendage as he shook his head.

"Ouch. That's low."

"You started it."

While they continued to bicker, Shepard walked over to an empty room on board the small craft. He found some comfort in the silence and thought a few hours rest would mentally prepare him for the next step in his brutal campaign.

His armor had been removed, as had the bodysuit. He now sat in a firm chair in the bare room, metal body completely exposed. Like this, he could now hear the tinny metallic _clicks_ and _clacks_ the servos made when they moved. The noise was starting to grow on him, there was a familiarity to it all. He breathed out, feeling the press his lungs made against the synthetic sack. Shepard eventually became so focused on his body itself that he didn't notice the door open.

Garrus swiftly sat down as he gingerly applied a med-bandage to the scrape on his neck as he stared at Shepard. He stared back at the turian, silently challenging him to make the first comment, to which he then complied.

"It…" Garrus started to say, "It's a little disconcerting…seeing someone like this but knowing it's a _friend_."

Shepard looked away, staring at the wall, "When I get used to it, you'll be the first to know."

"Oh, I don't doubt that, Shepard. You know, you could have just called and said you were alive. It might have gone a lot smoother for me, I'm still in the disbelief stage."

"I probably would have, if I had enough time to process myself. I mean, when I first woke up, all I could think about was killing everyone on the station who brought me back. I was enraged at the fact that I had to be recovered by Cerberus, the very people who I've been fighting for years and now they thought they had the means to control me, to be a literal puppet for whatever scheme they had in mind."

Shepard shook his head, "I wasn't being rational, I was acting on instinct. I threw myself into the violence and I _enjoyed_ it. You have no idea what it's like, Garrus. What it feels to seem invincible, knowing that no harm can come to you and you have ultimate control of your fate."

Garrus leaned forward, "Is that what this body means to you?"

Shepard flexed a robotic hand, "In a sense. It's harder for anyone to put me down now. I've been given increased strength, quicker reflexes, advanced targeting software…"

"…But?"

"But…it isn't me. I never wanted to be…this. I only wanted to be Commander Shepard, back on the Normandy, leading the only life that I considered _normal_. Having my friends by my side and exploring the galaxy. I would rather have _died_ than live long enough to see that taken away from me."

Garrus placed his hand on Shepard's artificial shoulder, "You still _are_ Commander Shepard, my friend."

"I don't even know who I am at this point," Shepard sighed. "I'm not a commander, I'm not with the Alliance, and I shouldn't have let anyone I once knew that I was still alive."

"What?" Garrus was shocked. "Why not? You don't think that we would _want_ to hear news like that after all these months?"

"It wouldn't be the same!" Shepard shouted. "Remember all of those missions in which we fought the geth? Synthetic adversaries? I'm just like them, now! I've _changed_, Garrus. I've changed and I didn't intend on reopening old wounds in everyone's lives. I mean, every time I've ran into a familiar face, they've always acted in shock…cursing my name, threatening to _shoot_ me. How do you think I feel being on the receiving end of that? It's only happened to me twice and I _never_ want that to happen again!"

Garrus wilted slightly, "People would understand eventually, Shepard…_I_ understood…"

"But would other people take it as easily? Would the Alliance? Can you imagine me going back to Anderson and watch his face as he would regard me in disgust for what I am? A mockery of a man he once called a friend. Or Kaidan? He would most certainly not understand what I've been through. And, Christ, what about _Tali_? She would…"

He stopped talking as the mention of the engineer brought a familiar memory to mind. It came to him like a recording in his mind, a part of his brain that permitted his electronic portion to access.

_She was standing against the railing of the engineering deck, working on the power output of the drive core. He was stepping toward her with something nestled in his palm._

_He called her name to which she turned around._

_Holding out his hand, he produced an OSD. She had requested a copy of the geth data that they'd salvaged in the Armstrong Cluster. She had done her part in the mission and was only fair that she'd receive an ample reward for the task. He knew she needed the data for her Pilgrimage, thus enabling her to leave the Normandy. The thought made him slightly sad for some reason, partly because he would lose a valued crewmember and partly because he enjoyed talking with her in the quiet hours of the night._

_Much to his relief, when she plucked the disk from his hand, she merely pocketed it and resumed her duties. He asked her what was going on and she replied, with sincerity in her voice, that she was continuing in her work._

_This made no sense. She had her Pilgrimage gift, she was free to go. But she insisted that her duties were needed on board the Normandy as long as it took to stop Saren and that she would stay as long as he wanted her to. _

"_This is more important," she said…_

Shepard grunted and clutched his head in pain. The flashback had lasted only seconds but it felt like minutes for him. Garrus stood over him, concerned. The turian didn't move until the metal human waved a hand in assurance.

"Don't…I'm fine."

"The hell you're not, Shepard."

"You become a shrink in your spare time, Vakarian?"

The turian laughed, "I only know when you're hurting. I've been around you long enough to read your body language, your current body notwithstanding."

"Scumbag," Shepard grimaced but he gave a small laugh afterwards.

Garrus shook his head as he started to head for the door, "I'll leave you alone now, Shepard. You need some rest and I think I'll put one of those sleeper pods on the second deck to good use after all the excitement today."

"Is that an order, Garrus?"

The turian shrugged, mandibles twitching in a smile, "Yep."

* * *

Rukin waved an arm and a holographic display emanated in the middle of the room. The briefing area consisted of a circular area reminiscent of an amphitheater, only miniature size. There were only four rows and most of the seats were unoccupied.

The people who did occupy the rows were the captains of the various ships along with a few select squad leaders, the orchestrators of the charge. Rukin and Kai Leng stood in the center of the room as the schematic of the _Rayya_ rotated for all to see.

"Let's go over this one more time," Rukin gestured. "1st Squadron acts as a scythe for the fleet, clearing a path so that 2nd Squadron, the infiltrators can move in." A visual representation acted out Rukin's words as he spoke, colored blips representing the players on the board.

"While that's going on," he continued. "3rd Squadron will target ship's engines, rendering their FTL drive useless. With no power, they will be unable to escape and the 2nd Squadron will have a perfect line of sight to board."

He snapped off the projector with a flourish and looked around the room to visually address every person, "That's only the easy part. Once the ships board, that phase is complete. Any quarian ships in the immediate area will not fire on one of their liveships in an effort to get rid of us. Those ships provide food for millions of quarians and the destruction of one would mean the starvation of almost a third of their entire population. They will be desperate to retain control and that is where the hard part comes in. Operative Leng?"

Kai Leng stepped forward, beady eyes signifying his superiority, "Rukin and I share joint command of the invasion. Each squad will be assigned an area of the ship to search. Your target is Tali'Zorah nar-whatever-the-fuck-it-is. It's on your datapad and I'd suggest you memorize the picture closely as all of these rats look alike. We know she's on the engineering deck and we have every reason to believe that she will be on this ship as our monitoring devices have not detected her leaving within the last several months. Finding her will be a tricky endeavor so I cannot stress how important speed is key."

Rukin drew himself up, "This will be a smash and grab, people. We have the edge in technology but they have greater numbers. I'd advise each and every one of you to not let any skirmishes keep you busy. Every second we don't find her, she gets closer to escaping. You with me?"

A lieutenant in the front raised a hand to which Rukin nodded for him to speak, "Wouldn't it make more sense to threaten the quarians to release this Zorah to us in exchange for something else?"

Rukin and Leng glanced at each other, incredulous. Rukin scratched his head, "Something else? What could we possibly offer the quarians in exchange for one of their own people?" Before the young man could open his mouth, Rukin shook his head, "Don't even speak. I want to tell you exactly what's wrong with your idea. The quarians, as a society, are very insular. Every crewmember is a valuable resource, a commodity, each one is considered to be necessary. The bottom line is that they _need_ every single able-bodied person on their hands. Also, they are very untrustworthy of outsiders due to a few skirmishes with the turians in recent years over land access."

Rukin was now speaking in a more animated fashion as he continued, "Cerberus hasn't really incurred the quarians' favor either. If you consider the number of ships we've destroyed or people we've killed from past campaigns then it would be a _miracle_ if they would somehow decide to treat with us. The fact that we're asking for a valued member of their crew in exchange for…well…_anything_, would be considered no less than an insult to them. Your idea, while it sounds good on paper, is a practical impossibility and will not get us any closer to achieving our objective."

Leng leaned over to the man, terrifyingly close to his face, "We're not here to play _diplomat_. We're here to kill _quarians_. Does that compute?"

Rukin walked away from the lieutenant, scowling, "Does anyone else have any other indispensable questions that need answering?"

A big hand was raised in the air and Rukin's eyes widened. _Oh no_.

"So…are will killing this Zorah or not?" Lieutenant Rosun slurred.

Rukin groaned, "Oh, for god's sake, Rosun. _No_, we are not killing Tali'Zorah! We need her alive! Were you not listening?"

"But Operative Leng said…"

"He was _generalizing_! How many times do I have to say it before it penetrates your thick skull? Tali…Zorah…stays…alive. _Got it_?" If his teeth could be clenched any tighter, they would have shattered in his mouth.

"You were confusing me, is all," Rosun defended.

"You're easily confused, Rosun. Just shut the hell up for the duration of this briefing and I'll specifically tell you who you can and cannot kill, repeatedly, enunciating clearly, even going so far as to grab a fucking _pop-up book_ for your reference, if it will get you to pay attention for even one…_fucking_…_minute_!"

He was breathing hard from the outburst, scraggly hair going everywhere, making him look wild. Everyone in the room had an expression frozen with fear but rapt with interest. Rukin didn't care about his appearance, nor about the unprofessional conduct he'd just demonstrated by chewing Rosun out in the presence of the command staff. A dozen curses rattled off in his head at Rosun. The man was wearing at his patience to the point where it was now only a very thin line. He would throw the lieutenant out the airlock before the mission would start if he kept this up. Maybe the incompetent oaf would get killed during the mission, wouldn't that be nice? Rukin would at least get the chance for an able second-in-command if that were to happen, the thought bringing a smile on his face.

Smoothing his uniform out, Rukin breathed deeply as he moved back to the display before speaking his next words in a rapid fire pace, "Any more questions? No? Good. Dismissed."


	6. Chapter 5: Hidden Wounds

Garrus shut off the omni-tool as Shepard stomped onto the bridge, his bodysuit and armor back into place, disguising the metal contraption that was his body. The trench coat was also draped around him in preparation for their upcoming mission. Might as well add a little theatricality to the mix.

Garrus nodded as Shepard sat down in the copilot's chair, beside Joker as he was busy maneuvering the Veritas around the maze of Omega. The blip on the navigation display read that the Cerberus base was only a few kilometers away. Just a few minutes until deployment.

"Talking to someone, Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"My men," Garrus answered. "Just called to let them know what I was up to. I told them to lay low for a while, perhaps leave Omega altogether. Some of them were excited to hear that I was back with you, Shepard. Wanted me to send over a signed rifle."

"Wait…you told them I was alive?"

Garrus shrugged, "They weren't going to accept any other explanation other than the fact that my old commander was alive and well and that he needed my help. They understood very quickly."

"Sound like good soldiers."

"They are. I don't know where I would be without them."

"Probably hunkered in a building somewhere," Joker said in toneless sarcasm. "Making a last stand or something like that. You always did have a habit of pissing people off."

"Joker," Garrus sighed. "If you don't shut your face I'm going to have to show you firsthand why I'm called 'Archangel' on Omega."

Joker groaned, "Great, only thing worse than a turian with a stick up is ass is a turian who's beating people to death with said stick."

Both human and turian then chuckled aloud at that. Shepard felt a small surge of happiness from the camaraderie, it was starting to sound a lot like old times. He actually did miss when he could just sit around and trade pointless banter from time to time with his impossible pilot and equally impossible turian. They were perfect conversationalists in this regard, the thought bringing to him a pang of nostalgia.

Garrus turned to Shepard, trying to read the human's emotions behind the black helmet, "So…uh, Shepard. What did you have in mind after we take care of this problem here?"

Shrugging, he said, "Rinse and repeat. Bound to be more where these guys came from, right? We've got nothing else to do, so why not make the most of it?"

Garrus and Joker glanced at each other, "Yeah…about that. You haven't forgotten the real threat that's out there, right? The Reapers? You have no intention of picking up where you last left off?"

"Where I last left off? The last lead we had died with Saren and Sovereign. When we were ordered by the Council to take care of the rest of the geth, we continually found no clues solidify the existence of Reapers anywhere. And apparently, from what I've been told, the Council would like to keep it that way."

"But…the ones who attacked us, who _killed_ you. You don't feel like tracking _them_ down in lieu of Cerberus? You don't think that theirs is the lesser of two evils?"

"Same problem, Garrus. I took a look through the mission report in my spare time." He tapped the side of his helmet for emphasis, "It was listed as yet another 'geth' attack and from what I've heard, no one has found any leads on the strange ship from that day."

"You could give it a shot, try to find them."

"With what resources? An aging ship and a skeleton crew? Garrus, I understand your concern and I also have considered them, but the point is that things aren't the same anymore. I no longer have access to any possible assets that could help us with such an endeavor. We have no crew to assist us, either. It's just us against the galaxy."

"We can always fix that last part," Garrus offered.

"Explain," Shepard said, reclining back.

"It's not like the rest of us died that day, Shepard. The rest of your crew is still out there, all you need to do is get them back."

Shepard barked out a laugh, "That's a good one, Garrus. 'Go and fetch my crew.' Well, it isn't as easy as it sounds, my friend."

"Now _you'll_ have to explain."

"It was purely happenstance that I ran into you and Joker. I initially intended on keeping my so-called 'resurrection' a secret because I was unwilling to accept my new body."

"I would imagine that being a cyborg takes some getting used to."

"Exactly. The point I'm trying to make is that everyone's moved on by now. Kaidan's still in the Alliance, Liara's potentially working for the Shadow Broker, and Wrex is hidden on Tuchanka doing god knows what. They won't be able to come with me and I've accepted that."

"But what about Tali? Every time she comes up in conversation you continuously act like you're avoiding her for some reason. Why is that, Shepard?"

Shepard blinked, brain faltering for a second before he replied, "I just…she was one of the last people to see me alive. I promised her that I would be all right. I…don't know how she'd take it if she found out the truth."

"_And_?" Garrus tilted his head.

Shepard sighed explosively, "Maybe it's because I don't want another friend to point a gun in my face. But if she ever saw me, my true face, she would just as soon shoot me before any questions were asked."

"You don't know that, she wouldn't-"

"Oh yes, she would. You know how much she hates the geth. To her, I would just seem like one of them. Another synthetic freak with a computer chip for a brain. That's pretty much what I am now, not human, not organic, just a big, damn robot. Why would her reaction be any different?"

"Because," the turian put a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "She _cares_ about you."

"_I_ cared about all of you," Shepard shot back. "I care about you now. And it's precisely why I care is the reason why I'm choosing to lay low at all."

"I'm not talking about _that_ kind of caring, Shepard. I'm talking about the fact that Tali saw you as _more_ than a friend."

Shepard recoiled, "What are you talking about?"

"You mean to tell me that you were _that_ oblivious? Spirits, Shepard, you're remarkably perceptive on the battlefield but in purely social situations you're hopeless."

"You…you mean that Tali…?"

"She _loved_ you, Shepard. Everyone could see that she adored you. When you died she was completely helpless. It took her a whole _week_ to stop crying. It broke her heart, Shepard, so wouldn't it do to mend that wound now that you have the chance?"

It took a few seconds for Shepard to properly process the information. He mulled it over, picking apart his potential argument before he realized that Garrus was right and that denying it wasn't going to make it wrong. But Garrus was incorrect in one aspect, he _had_ noticed. He knew that something was up whenever Tali would follow him around the deck, asking various questions, starting out small until they eventually elevated to deeply personal conversations. There was a sense of gratification that he got when he talked with her; he had never felt that way about anyone else before, aside from Garrus who was argumentative in nature. He still hadn't decided what he would have done if they had more time together. Would he have done something about his budding feelings eventually? It was a sensation that transcended beyond being human, but the sense that two people could find solace in their togetherness.

Of course, that could never happen at this point.

"You're assuming that my presence will simply heal all the pain that she's gone through over the years," Shepard scowled. "Who's to say that it won't simply reopen all those emotions when she finds out that I'm not the man I once was, even if she did find some common ground between us."

"You wouldn't even consider it for a moment?"

Shepard straightened, trying to muster all the determination he could from his electronic voice box, "Not right now, no." He turned to Joker, effectively ending the conversation between them, "How much longer until we reach the base?"

Joker had slid down to the bottom of the seat as Shepard and Garrus had argued, really wanting to disappear. He awkwardly slid himself up as Shepard waited for an answer, "You know…we docked five minutes ago."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

Joker immediately shot his hands up, "You were…_indisposed_. It seemed a bad time to interrupt you."

"Oh. In that case…Garrus, let's arm up." He rose as he continued to talk, "We've got an errand to run."

"Sure thing, Shepard," Garrus mumbled as he too slowly rose. Both of them started to walk to the armory as Joker stared back at them.

"I'll just sit here," he called lamely. "Waiting on the ship…you know, like I've done for the last few times…"

* * *

The alleys of Omega were deserted as Shepard and Garrus strode purposefully down them. Red dust seeped across every crack in the ground, bits of rubbish fluttered away from the small flitter of wind that whooshed past. The whole place stank of decay and rust which was about the same experience anyone would get to witness on the station.

Garrus was glad that his helmet was fitted snugly over his head, that way he wouldn't have to wallow in the filth like the rest of the vermin. He didn't know if Shepard could detect the smell as he could, let alone use whatever remained of his nose to detect a scent at all. It didn't seem like a pertinent question and it could be taken as a rather insensitive query. He decided to let it rest.

The squat, cylindrical tower up ahead was where they were currently headed. It wasn't a large building by any means but it was noticeable enough. Shepard brought up his omni-tool and double-checked it with the coordinates Aria had provided him. He stopped in the middle of the street to talk.

"Looks like the place," he waved a hand.

Garrus squinted, trying to discern a weakness in the building itself, "It seems to be rather fortifiable. Did Aria give you an estimate on the troop strength?"

"She said that there were about forty. Only a small outpost, but it's a start"

"You consider forty _small_?" Garrus gave a small laugh. "You just had to drag me into hell, didn't you?"

"Come on, Garrus," Shepard patted the turian's arm as they continued forward again. "It'll be fun."

Garrus blinked, "Your idea of fun is probably not even close to what I would define it as."

There were no external defenses that fired upon them as they approached. Garrus was surprised to see that Shepard was merely sauntering up to the door itself. A few glances around showed him that the building was wired with security cameras, of course. Shepard ignored this fact as he raised a fist to tap on the entrance.

"Shepard!" he hissed. "What are you doing?"

The cyborg's head turned in his direction, "Opening the door, what else?"

"Opening the-…_what_?"

"Trust me."

His arm still raised, he loudly rapped on the door five times, the deep reverberations echoing through the large steel. With his other arm, he placed a planted charge on the door and stepped away from it. Understanding, Garrus moved back with Shepard to find a spot with cover. There was a small barricade near the entrance so they crouched behind it, hearts racing with excitement.

Counting backward from ten, Shepard sent the charge a radio burst, which promptly proceeded to explode inward, flame and metal showering everywhere. There were a few staggered shouts but nothing that denoted the size of a medium-strength platoon.

"Door's open," Shepard rose. "Let's go."

Breaking into a light jog, both unhooked the shotguns from the magnetic strips on their backs. They waded through the flames (Shepard's coat was flameproof so he didn't worry about it becoming ablaze) into the facility. Lying crumpled near the remnants of the door, were two bodies in what used to be white armor. The soot from the blast had coated them in a black film, the bodies twisted and mangled, the flesh seared beneath. One was ripped open from the midsection and the other was missing the lower half of his body. No need for a double tap, they were clearly dead.

Before he could snarl a witty remark, a trooper burst out of the hallway only feet ahead of them. His fate befell his comrades as Shepard and Garrus brought their weapons to bear. Two blasts emerged and the man's head and a good portion of his chest vanished in a meaty red cloud, the pulpy mass making a disgusting sound as it hit the ground.

The training was all coming back to him. Using hand signals, he indicated Garrus to check the left side of the hallway while he took the right. Timing their searches of the rooms, they only took five seconds each to determine signs of life in the area. The schematic of the entire facility had been uploaded to Shepard's memory at that point so he was made aware of all the entrances and exits to the building.

All of the rooms on the bottom level were empty, oddly enough. Even though they were all barracks, they had only come across the three men in the beginning. The rest of them couldn't possibly fit on the second floor, could they?

"I'll take point," Shepard whispered into his comm. "Cover the rear, just in case."

Garrus nodded and holstered his shotgun, swapping for his assault rifle. He swept the weapon across, covering all corners as Shepard headed up the stairs. Once he finished his ascent, he gestured for Garrus to follow. Both side by side again, he peeked into the next room ever so cautiously.

The blasts from Mattock rifles caused chunks of the wall to spray out where Shepard's head was positioned. He flinched backwards as his shields took a dive. His optics had recorded exactly how many people were in the next room in that brief moment that he could perceive.

"There's only six of them," he said.

Garrus tilted his helmet in confusion, "Six? Did that floor look like it could fit roughly thirty more?"

"There were a few extra rooms but not that I could see."

"This doesn't make any sense. They certainly weren't prepared for any attack here so this isn't the beginning of an ambush. In the middle of moving out, perhaps?"

"Let's find out. You ready for this?"

Garrus grabbed the Tempest submachine gun from his back as Shepard now brandished two Carnifex pistols. Both checked the status of their weapons before the turian grinned underneath the helmet.

"Let them do their worst."

With a grunt, Shepard flung himself out the opening, charging into a combat roll as the initial shots passed over his body. As the troopers struggled to correct their aim, Garrus now stepped through and methodically aimed his gun, shredding a man's neck with a trio of well-placed bursts.

Exiting out of his somersault, Shepard's twin pistols barked and two soldiers fell, large portions of their skull missing as the organs sloshed around inside. His shields were now starting to spark and fall as he continued to rise from his initial trajectory but the assault lessened as Garrus' shots felled two more as holes in their chest spurted blood.

The last one was only inches away. Seeing his chance, the omni-sword flared to life from Shepard's arm and the upward swing cleaved the man's jaw in two through the helmet his was wearing. Blood gushed down his chest as the shock made him collapse in a heap. Shattered bits of bone mixed with the blood and Shepard kicked the body over, placing a bullet in the man's head for emphasis.

All clear.

Now that they had a moment to breathe, Shepard and Garrus looked around the room for any indication of where the other thirty-one soldiers had gone. Other than a single, solitary door that they hadn't checked yet, there were no other signs of life. Shepard was confused, was Aria's data off? Or had they arrived at an inopportune time for these guys? There was the possibility that the rest of the platoon had gone off on a mission somewhere and that these were only the rear guard. So now they only needed to check where they had left to.

Luckily, the room they were in was some sort of command center. Holographic displays lined a wall of the area so Shepard and Garrus walked over to it. Interfacing with the software and providing a basic crack, Shepard was in the network within minutes. He scrolled through the list of troop movements (it was organized from oldest date to current, oddly enough) until he reached the last entry. It denoted that thirty troopers had been pulled from their duties on Omega to join up with a combined task force on the 34th Fleet.

"Garrus," he called. "See if you can bring up any movement for the 34th Fleet on the main display."

The turian complied, fingers racing across the keyboard as he punched in the search request. Within seconds, the panel flared as a galaxy map sprang to life. The distance that the fleet hopped was relatively a distance of a quarter of the diameter of the galaxy, coming to rest in a system in the upper right corner.

"Zoom in on that," Shepard pointed.

The display widened as the indication of the fleet materialized in the system indicated as the "Far Rim."

"Know anything about the Far Rim, Garrus?"

"That's about where 'geth space' starts. Other than that, nothing else of note."

"Well, there has to be something that would cause at least twenty ships to fly out into that area. Do you think Cerberus is planning to take on the geth?"

"If they ended up killing each other, I wouldn't mind. But here's the thing that's a little concerning. The manifest here shows that thirty men were pulled from this location. We only killed nine, so that means…"

Both of them turned to the lone door in the corner. Giving each other a look, they pulled their pistols out as they cautiously approached it, taking each step very slowly, very carefully.

"You sure we cleared the bottom floor?" Shepard asked.

"Positive, unless one managed to escape in the confusion."

Garrus hit the button for the door and it slid aside to reveal a dark staircase headed down. The steps were steeper than normal and it was poorly lit. The two of them hovered near the edge as they assessed this new fact.

"This wasn't on the schematics," Shepard said.

"Leads to a basement, probably a new addition."

"We might be able to act casual if an alarm was never raised. Stay frosty."

Clambering down the steps, they soon found themselves in yet another dim room. The place was damp and stank of mildew. Another door loomed on the other side of the floor to which they moved to. Crouching in a door, they could hear something emanating from beyond. The noise was muffled but it sounded like a man. They couldn't make out any words but they were confident that their fortieth man was now accounted for. They were about to give him a rude welcome when Garrus suddenly held up a hand.

"Wait, Shepard. Look at this door, it's been padded. Soundproofed."

"Then he's not expecting us. Open it."

Truthfully, once that door opened, neither Shepard nor Garrus were expecting horrid sight as it was their turn to be surprised. Their initial hypothesis was indeed correct as there was a man inside but he also had company, not the willing kind.

The man's back was to them but what struck them first was that he was not wearing any clothes at all. The soldier seemed to be in the middle of a private affair as he was noticeably thrusting into someone hidden from view. Arching an eyebrow in apprehension, Shepard maneuvered to the side for a better view. What he saw next brought what little blood he had in his body to a boil.

There was an asari who was forced over on a table. Like the man, she was not wearing any clothes at all. Her stomach was pressed flat on the ground as he took her from behind. Her hands were bound and her mouth was taped shut so the only noises she was capable of making was a pitiful whimper as the man continued in his dastardly work.

"Motherfu-" Shepard managed to say as he grabbed the man and forcibly separated him from his captive. The cyborg roared and he bodily threw the man against the wall, stunning him for a few moments. Garrus ran over to the asari and cut her bonds loose with his knife. Exhibiting care, he gently pried the tape off her mouth, to which she immediately began crying.

There were a heap of clothes lying beside the table. Shepard grabbed them and held them out to the girl, who shakily tried to cover herself up. The man was still groaning on the floor, but he was starting to get up. Shepard seized a chair nearby before picking the trooper up and depositing on it. An enormous backhand across the face rendered him dazed, giving Shepard plenty of time to grab the roll of tape from the table and tie his arms and legs together. The man struggled against his bonds but the tight material did not yield.

Gesturing to Garrus, he said, "Get her out of here and someplace safe. I'll stay here and learn some more."

"Wait, Shepard," Garrus put a hand on his friend's arm. "Don't do this. You once talked me out of taking revenge years ago. You told me that if I go down that path that there is no redemption. Just leave him there and we can-"

"I have to know what Cerberus is up to, Garrus," Shepard interrupted with a frustrated tone. "There _is_ no redemption for me at this point. I have no choice."

"There's always a choice."

"Then my set course is locked. There's nothing you can do. Go on, Garrus. I don't want you to share the fall with me."

Garrus gingerly started to guide the girl to the door before turning back to the cyborg, "What happened to you, Shepard? What happened to the man I knew as a friend? The human who valued compassion over cruelty?"

Shepard laughed, "What _happened_, Garrus? I _died_."

With a mournful shake of the head, the turian departed, along with the asari. It was just him and this pig of a man. Shepard locked the door from the inside before taking his time to approach the captor turned captive.

The man wouldn't meet his gaze. A cut on his lip bubbled blood as he occasionally struggled to loosen the tape around his limbs. His extremities were probably starting to feel a little numb at this point as the blood was slowly constricted out of them.

Shepard crossed his arms as he appraised his hostage, "How old was she? The asari?"

The man now looked at him, trying to perceive whoever was behind the helmet before hocking and spitting at him, "Mind your own fucking business, shithead."

"Wrong answer," Shepard unsheathed a knife he always kept in his chest holster. Demonstrating deftness, he pressed the tip against the man's cheek and quickly sliced. He shouted in pain as blood was drawn, already starting to drip down his face in rivulets.

"She couldn't have just started her maiden stage, you prick," Shepard snarled. "Do you know what kind of psychological pain rape does to a person?"

"Hey, chill out man," the soldier said with a forced laugh. "She was over eighteen, legal enough for me, at least."

The knife in Shepard's hand suddenly found itself embedded in a leg, causing the man to shriek in pain. Blood was spurting out in even bursts around the sharp metal as he writhed in the chair.

"Asari don't age the same as humans!" Shepard screamed. "What...have...you..._done_, you son of a bitch?!"

The man was still screaming, even after Shepard withdrew the knife from his leg. The hypocritical nature of the man's conduct was astounding, but there was an underlying motivation behind it. It was not a gesture of the culmination of love that caused the man to lay with the asari but a cruel demonstration of power. He was showing her that humans could control anyone, the implications of inter-species mating were callously disregarded. The man was still wailing like he had just been gelded, which Shepard was seriously considering at this point.

"Shut up!" the cyborg barked. "Your artery wasn't hit nor did the knife grate on your bone. If you continue to antagonize me, you'll find out that my patience wears thin rather fast. Answer my questions fully and truthfully and I may let you scurry back to the Illusive Man as a messenger. Otherwise, well…let's just say the mess would take hours to clean up afterward. Get the picture?"

The man was gritting his teeth in pain, not acknowledging him. Shepard started to move the point of the knife towards his navel, causing him to suck in his gut to avoid the sting of the sharp edge.

"All right! _All right_!" He screamed. "I'll talk, man. I'll talk!"

"Straight to business then," Shepard said. "Recently, this place was given an order to draw three fourths of its personnel to the 34th Fleet, where did it go?"

The first question was a test, to see if the prisoner truly meant his promise to tell the truth. If he wanted to live, he would give the correct answer as soon as it would materialize in his tiny head.

"The Far Rim!" he cried. "They were going to the Far Rim."

"The Far Rim…" Shepard pretended to muse. This was a good sign, it meant that he was truly interested in cooperating. This would not be as difficult as he thought, clearly the man valued his own life much more than his cause.

Black helmet tilted down, he fired off the next question, "Why the Far Rim? Does it have to do with the geth?"

"No, man!" the soldier pleaded. "It's the quarians! They were going to attack the quarians?"

_What_? Shepard knelt down as he crushed the man's shoulders with his powerful grip, "What was the purpose of attacking the quarians?"

"Shit, _I have no idea_!" The man winced as his shoulders were painfully grasped, "They only gave a name for us to go after, I don't even know who it was! They wanted this one bitch for…like a black project or some shit! That much they didn't tell us, man. _They only gave a name!_"

"_Who_? Who was it?"

"I'm thinking!" The man sounded close to tears, "It was…something that…maybe started with a T. Tani…Dani…Dali…."

"_Tali_?"

"Yes, that's the one!" the man nodded happily.

"Tali…_Zorah_?"

"Yes! Yes! That's her! I'm sure of it!"

Shepard screamed in rage as he suddenly kicked the man's chest, toppling the chair over. Shepard was next to him in an instant, brandishing the knife inches away from the man's eyeball.

"Cerberus is going to the flotilla for Tali'Zorah? Why?"

The man was completely flabbergasted as he struggled to breathe, "I…don't…_know_, man. _Please_."

Shepard slammed the knife down into a shoulder, this time biting into bone. The resulting screech of pain grated on Shepard, it was the most horrible sound he could ever imagine possible. His captive was now sobbing openly as he muttered dimly, "_Why….why….why…_"

As he brought the chair upright again, Shepard tried to make all of the hate and rage pour into his voice as he snarled, "They're going after the quarian –after Tali- to get to me! They're trying to draw me out by having you bastards maim and mutilate the people I know!"

"They…" the man mumbled. "The briefing never…mentioned…_you_."

"And why would it? Killing quarians sounds like a day in the life for someone like you. The normality of what goes on at Cerberus is sickening. You think that by slaughtering non-humans makes you better?"

"Why would you care?" the man slurred from the loss of blood. "They're just quarians…you can't even see their faces…why should anyone ever care about them if you can't even view their expression? Why should _you_ care about what we're doing to them?"

"I'll tell you why _I_ care…" Shepard was incredulous. His fingers then shot to the clamps on his helmet, fumbling for a bit before ripping the covering off and throwing it to the ground where it rolled into a corner. His metal head now exposed, the skull-like face leaned close to the Cerberus trooper before a voice screamed from it, "_Because you did this to me!"_

Shepard was wrong, there was now a new sound that was the most horrible noise he could imagine possible.

* * *

Garrus glanced upward as he heard the door of the _Veritas_ slide open. Shepard walked over to the copilot's chair, causing strange looks from Joker as he shrugged off his coat, which was now partially stained with red, and the helmet, which he placed atop the dashboard.

Garrus walked over to the chair, sour mood rising. Sensing a presence behind him, the cyborg occupying the chair turned to address him.

"I know what you're thinking Garrus, and you have every right to be angry at me."

Garrus sighed, "Is this what it's come to, Shepard? Torture and murder at every turn? You may be different now but you're still _alive_, damn it! Of course I'm angry at you!" The turian was only growing more urgent with every second, "When did _Commander Shepard_ ever have to resort to things like that? You sincerely believe that your actions are justified purely because you wanted to die and that was taken from you? You don't think-"

"I know, I know…" Shepard raised a hand. "I _know_, Garrus. And you're right. It _isn't_ justified. I didn't…I just want to wake up from this _nightmare_. I...I don't want to keep on killing for the rest of my life…but I don't know what else I'm good at anymore!"

Garrus leaned forward, "You don't have to continue doing this, Shepard. You can stop this nightmare, you just need to snap out of it."

Shepard stared out into space, "Stop this nightmare? Garrus, I just _executed_ a man after violently torturing him for information. I had received everything I needed from him already but I made him suffer all the same. I've never done anything like that before. I've killed in cold blood, yes, but I've never tortured anyone to death for information. From what I've done, I'm convinced that there is _no_ stopping this nightmare. I've become exactly what Cerberus wanted me to be: a killer. I…" He shook his head, "I've seen what I can do in my position, how I'm slowly pushing everyone away from me. Every fiber in my being is telling me to resume my life where I left off, but I know that it's _impossible_."

"It's not impossible, Shepard. We can go back to the Alliance and you'll be able to convince them of what happened. They can't put you back together, but they can mend you. Come on, my friend. Let's go back to the Citadel and get your life straight. I'll be there with you the whole time."

"So will I, _Commander_," Joker piped up.

Shepard huffed, "Do you really think it will be that easy? For me to look the people who abandoned me in the eye and force them to accept the truth? They never accepted the fact that Sovereign was a Reaper, why should they accept that this…_robot_ is actually me?"

"Because there is only one Commander Shepard," Garrus stated. "That's all the proof anyone needs."

Shepard reclined back as he considered his friend's words. The truth to them was overwhelming, he had to admit. The turian was still staring at him in a combination of concern and regret. Shepard, in that one moment, sympathized with Garrus and wished that he could have exhibited the foresight to look through someone else's eyes and see himself as the monster he was turning into, not the monster he thought he started out as. If he could really reach out and grasp his destiny once again, then Garrus was right. What did he have to lose?

"Okay," Shepard said. "You win. But first, we make one little detour. There's something we need to do before I get my life back."

"_Spirits_, Shepard. This better be an important side trip. What could possibly be so necessary that it could convince us to delay this crucial step any further?"

"Trust me, Garrus. I will go back to the Citadel but there is one thing that we all need to take care of, otherwise the last two hours will have been for nothing. Watch."

Shepard's dexterous fingers punched in the coordinates on the mini-map in the center console. The projection of the galaxy widened as the focus was now primed upon the Far Rim. A beacon was then placed on the far side of the Dholen system as he marked it "Quarian Flotilla." Garrus' eyebrows rose in what had to signify a touch of acceptance, of understanding.

"Now you see why this is so important. Tali is in danger and we're going to save her. Strap in."


	7. Chapter 6: Safety is an Illusion

"_Intruder alert! Intruder alert! All hands report to combat stations! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!"_

Tali jolted out of her bunk as the intercom blared. She banged her head on the low ceiling of her bed and she loudly cursed, furious at her clumsiness. Dazed, she kicked open the drawer at her feet to remove the shotgun and pistol that she always had at the ready. Double-checking to see if they were both loaded with fresh clips, she grabbed a spare bandolier before heading out the door.

The crew was running in one direction _en masse_. The overall tone was more panicked than normal which meant that Captain Danna was not playing around when he had shouted that this was not a drill. Something was definitely wrong here. How could anyone board the liveship? The _Rayya_ was supposed to be protected at all costs, so what happened?

_Geth_, she thought, her blood temperature rising in hate. It was the only logical explanation. The fleet had been positioned too close to geth space and now they had sent an attack force to drive them even further away from their homeworld. She readied her shotgun as she ran towards the ladder, she would make sure that those damned synthetics would not accomplish their mission.

Tali's boots made harsh _clangs_ on the metal floor as she reached the bridge. As one of the higher ranking engineers on the ship, she was given full access to all areas, including those manned by the senior staff.

"Captain Danna!" Tali cried out, "I heard the alert! What is-"

She suddenly stopped her line of questioning when she saw a red-suited figure turn from talking to her captain. His glowing eyes dipped meaningfully and Tali's shotgun was now in the grip of only one hand as her arms fell to her sides in surprise.

"_Father_? I thought you had gone back to the _Alarei_, what are you doing here?"

Rael'Zorah moved over and gently put his hands on his daughter's shoulders, "Tali! Thank the Ancestors you're still alive. I was worried that you…"

Tali didn't care that he never really answered her question because she was still stunned that he openly admitted his worry for her safety. Things really must be bad if he now showed this kind of concern, she noted.

She numbly patted her father's hand, "I'm…I'm fine, dad. But what's going on? Is it the geth? How did they get past our defenses?"

"Tali," Captain Danna interjected, "It isn't the geth. It's the humans."

Tali's jaw dropped from beneath her helmet. This wasn't right, why would the humans attack the Fleet without warning? This wasn't something that they were capable of. Shepard had previously indicated to her the overall mindset of humans, showing her that they weren't so different from quarians in their history and culture. What could they possibly gain from a move like this?

"That can't be!" she yelled, "Open a channel to the Alliance! Tell them-"

"It isn't the Alliance, Tali," her father said as he rushed to a nearby console. "Scans of their ships show their markings as Cerberus."

_Cerberus_. The name sent a chill down Tali's spine. She still had not mentally overcome the horrors that she'd witnessed from all of the sick and twisted operations that they stuck their fingers in. The sight of diseased and decaying bodies in a dilapidated lab were only the beginning of a slew of disturbing scenarios that almost made her vomit in her helmet.

One time, she and Shepard had dispatched the last of a series of remote outposts in the Terminus Systems when they came across a final room. In that tiny space, laid a solitary, water-filled tank which contained a human. The human's skin had been completely removed, the muscles glistening under the water as it was stained red. The man's eyes were wide behind the breather mask as green tubing ran from several slots in his body. The person was part of an experiment to determine the enhanced effects of thresher venom on the human body, the results of which turned out to be disgustingly potent. The man could not be saved in his state, so Shepard had to administer a lethal dose of the venom that had caused him the pain to begin with. She could never forget the look on her commander's face when he had to put him out of his misery, but she knew that he did the right thing.

"But why would Cerberus attack the flotilla?" She shouted as the deck now trembled, "What could they gain?"

"I don't know," Captain Danna said, "Only that they managed to board after they screamed through the relay. Our ships were cut to ribbons instantly, leaving them a clear path to board. They also took out our engines, which means that we can't retreat through the relay. We're stuck."

Tali stared out the window, managing to see a cluster of at least a dozen ships nearby. Painted white, these vessels carried no other markings than a strange black and gold insignia. The logo of Cerberus.

Tali cocked her head in confusion, "Why doesn't the fleet fire on the _bosh'tets_?" She waved her hand, indicating their foes.

"The ships are too close to the _Rayya_," her father sighed. "Any attack by the fleet could potentially damage the liveship. The humans figured this out beforehand and exploited this fact."

Kar'Danna slammed a fist down, "Abandoning the _Rayya_ is not an option. If we lose this ship then we condemn millions of our people to death. We stay and fight." He turned to Tali, "I despise having to ask this of you but you need to get to the engineering deck. Reports indicate that we are being overrun at every turn and we need to get the engines back online. We don't need them at full power, just enough to maneuver us out of the firing line of the fleet. You do that and we can properly launch a counterattack."

"Got it, sir," Tali said determinedly. As she headed through the door, she waited for her father to voice an order of his own, perhaps in encouragement, she didn't know or care, just something. She didn't look back and it then occurred to Tali then that he wasn't going to say anything at all.

* * *

The jackhammer sound of the machine gun made Rukin wince as his ears became assaulted by the loud noise. He was going to get permanent hearing loss if this kept up any further. The narrow corridor that they were in wasn't helping matters much as the sound had nowhere to go except reverberate endlessly across the walls.

When the frigate had docked on board the liveship, the intrusion teams had gone to work instantly. Planted charges on the outside of the docking doors paved the way for the troops. The status reports from the rest of the teams were promising. The surprise attack had gone exactly as planned.

Dead quarians lined his feet as they advanced up the hall. Occasionally, a bout of small arms fire would materialize from a room ahead and down a trooper but two more would replace him and kill the aggressor. As low as their initial casualties were at this point, they were still going far too slowly for his taste.

Rukin pushed aside the men at the front as he brought his assault rifle to bear. Kai Leng and Rosun were right behind him and they covered the corners that he was unable to focus on. A stairwell loomed in the corner and Rukin waved for Rosun to head upstairs, to which the lumbering man gleefully complied.

Rukin smiled, upstairs was further away from the engineering deck, where Tali'Zorah was located. If he got Rosun further away from the target, then there was less of a chance that the imbecile would kill her in his indiscriminate bloodlust. Plus, getting the man out of his presence would cause him to keep calm for a little while longer.

The hallway burst out into an open courtyard which split into several different avenues. This looked like the makings of a grand market, a perfect site for an ambush.

Rukin waved to Kai Leng, "Take a team and scour the area. Let me know when you locate her or when _he_ arrives."

Leng grinned, "He can't ignore something like this. He'll be along soon."

With that, the man rushed off with a small company, leaving Rukin with the rest. He made a motion with his head and they carefully maneuvered around the market. There was another stairwell in the corner, this one descending. Perfect.

With a war cry, several quarians popped out from behind shelves in the open area, unleashing hell with their weapons. Several troopers fell to the ground as their armor was shattered from the assault, their heads popping like ripe fruit.

Rukin threw himself behind a machinery stand, preparing a grenade in the process. When there was a brief lull in the enemy fire, he stood up and lobbed it into the center and ducked back again. The resulting explosion sent up a wave of screams and cries. Rukin sighed as the familiar memories of his pirating days wafted back to him. Music to his ears.

The quarian's counterattack was now staggered and disorganized. Rukin broke from cover and vaulted over the nearest enemy-held point. A quarian lay near the ground, whimpering as his arm spurted blood, blown off from the grenade. Rather than waste any ammo, Rukin kicked at the man's visor with his foot, the covering shattering from the blow. The quarian fell unconscious within a minute as the exposure combined with the shock took its toll.

Several of the aliens were now hastily retreating. _Don't go now, the fun's only starting_. Rukin smiled as he looked down the scope of his rifle, placing well-aimed bullets in every one of their upper backs, severing their spines, causing instantaneous death. He could hear the distant _pops_ of his men's guns as they too were successful in repelling the quarians. But this was the exact kind of encounter he'd wanted to avoid. Even though they controlled the only way on and off this cursed ship, every second in which Tali'Zorah went by unfound presented another opportunity for failure. They had to grab her before Shepard arrived. The man would have definitely found out about the attempt on the flotilla by now and was most likely on his way to save his former crewmember. They needed a hostage if they were to control him, they needed Tali'Zorah.

* * *

Tali'Zorah yelled in alarm as an explosion tore her friends away, sending the catwalk that they were perched on crashing several flights below. She clutched at a guardrail to keep herself from joining their fate, but was completely helpless in this position as she saw several red beams poke through the steam, sweeping in all directions.

The damage to the engines had been worse than she thought. It turns out that the initial shutdown had been caused by an electrical interference rather than structural damage, a fact that would have rendered the engines easy to repair. Unfortunately, Cerberus had sent a salvo of missiles to the back of the craft, twisting the engines out of shape, rendering them completely inert. There was nothing Tali could do in her position. They needed a proper team to sort this out if they were going to get underway anytime soon. Right now, anytime soon was anything but.

Condensation dripped down from the oily pipes as steam escaped from holes in the bowels of the ship. The jumbled maze of equipment provided ample cover but the extra moisture made everything extremely slippery.

Several white forms burst out from the cloud ahead of her, on the other side of the ruined walkway. She frantically kicked her legs out, sliding backwards as she desperately tried to get away. It was no use, they had a clear shot.

Strangely, they didn't fire, with the one human in front turning to the man covering him. Even at the distance he could still hear him shout over the hiss in the air, "_Is that her_?"

The soldier nodded, "_ID match, non-lethal takedown!_"

_What were they talking about? Non-lethal takedown? Why?_

Not wanting to find out more, she clutched at her pistol and raised it at the three white figures. They froze, their weapons briefly twitching upward but stopping as they seemed to be conflicted in their orders. That was all the time she needed. Depressing the trigger several times, she kept firing until the clip overheated. She got back up to her feet and jumped across the gap, ejecting the spent clip as she approached the now bloody bodies, watching their vital fluids drip down into the depths below.

One of them was still alive, judging by how red liquid burst from beneath the man's helmet whenever he started to cough. Tali knelt down, pressing her knee on the human's chest as she ripped off the covering. She shoved the pistol into the frightened man's face as her voice was a deadly whisper.

"What were you talking about back there? _Why are you here_?"

Blood stained the man's teeth as his eyes widened in fear. His breaths were gradually becoming weaker as he continued to cough. Tali pressed the pistol against the man's neck as she snarled, "_Answer me_!"

It was no use, the man spluttered one last time and then he lay still. Revolted, Tali backed away from the body so she could lean over the guardrail. She fell to her knees as she started to heave, squeezing her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to see the bodies anymore.

This had never happened to her before, even when she was with Shepard. Tali had killed several times in the past, but it mostly was comprised of geth, husks, and plenty of mercenaries. All that time, Shepard was the one who had borne the brunt of the psychological blowback from these encounters. It had eventually occurred to Tali that he was just trying to shield her from the real terror that comprised this galaxy, the terror that encompassed the taking of life.

Now that he was gone, all of the bottled emotions were now free to hit her full in the face. She had seen the fear in that man's eyes as he lay dying right there, she had seen the pain that he had felt, the slow agony as that bullet had chewed into his chest, pulverizing his internal organs. She felt disgusted with herself for taking advantage of the man's pain, to shove the threat of death in his face as he was already dying. Shepard was right, the galaxy was a harsh place and there was no sense ignoring that crucial fact.

In that one instant, she felt ashamed that she had ever taken her Pilgrimage. She should have stayed on the flotilla and would have remained blissfully ignorant of the outside universe. She would never have known the pain that came from trying to survive on scraps, from having to kill rather than be killed, from having loved someone.

_Stop this. You don't really mean that. You needed to go, it was all you ever dreamed about and nothing would have convinced you otherwise. Just look at what you've accomplished! The things you've done, the people you've met. Liara and Garrus and Wrex and Shepard…_

Tali kicked the man's body in rage, ignoring the pain that shot up her foot. What was she to do now? She was just a girl living in the past, wishing for the impossible to happen when she should have focused on her _current_ family, the one that needed her in that moment.

"_Attention!_" Her comm blared, "_This is Rael'Zorah, attention! Cerberus has overrun the upper decks. We need all units to converge on the bridge and to push them back. Repeat, need backup on the-_"

Tali whirled in all directions, trying to discern the closest staircase so that she could run for it. She could hear the accented shouts of the humans as they tried to penetrate the condensation that was obscuring everything. Spying a ladder, she raced towards it and began the long and arduous climb, ignoring the burn from her muscles as she ascended each rung.

The pain didn't matter, there were more important things to worry about.

_I couldn't save Shepard, but I can save you, Father._

* * *

Rukin growled as the acrid tang of ozone bit into his eyes, the omni-sword effortlessly flowing through the enviro-suit of the quarian in front of him. Grasping at his intestines that were starting to push out of the gaping wound, the alien moaned before collapsing in a bloody heap.

Slashing to the left, Rukin took off the arm of a female as she approached to level an overloaded charge at him. She clutched at her stump in pain before the backswing knocked her head clean off, the helmeted head tumbling out of sight.

_Still no Tali'Zorah. Goddamn it all if she isn't here._

There were no more quarians in the area. That gave Rukin a second to rest as he stumbled away from the disassembled aliens that were now strewn around the corridor. Strangely enough, resistance hadn't been as heavy as they'd expected. The meticulous planning and combat training hadn't gone to waste. Everyone was at the top of their game. Except that they couldn't find one _single frigging quarian_!

He activated the comm, speaking rapidly, "Leng, report. Any updates?"

Nothing on the line, were the quarians jamming them? "Leng, answer!"

Rukin waited five seconds before beckoning over a sergeant, requesting an update on the situation.

"Sir, all teams have checked in. No sign of Tali'Zorah."

"Fuck. You mean to tell me that we've spent half an hour here and not even one of us has seen her?"

"We've scoured the engineering decks but have not focused much effort on the upper decks."

Rukin ran a hand through his thick, uncontrollable hair, "Oh, that's just fantastic. If she's up there, then Rosun is as well. But why would she be up on the upper decks in the first place? There is no other reason to be there as she can escape with ease below unless…" A thought burst into his head, giving clarity to the quarian's point of view. He opened his omni-tool, disengaging the combat procedures for now as he brought up the map. He flicked through the first few floors until he spied something that he missed initially.

He pointed, indicating to the sergeant their objective, "The bridge. It's a few floors above us. It would be natural to assume that she would want to remain with the command staff if she's caught on to us."

"Do you want all units, sir?"

"I'll take a few squads while you remain here, just to be safe. We need to keep our bases covered and to tie up any loose ends until-"

"Colonel!" A new voice cried from the outside balcony where their floor was located. "Contact! I have contact!"

Rukin raced over to where a private was excitedly pointing. Following the man's arm, across the way on the other side of the liveship, was a quarian draped in purple, running towards the front of the ship along the catwalks. She was clearly in a hurry as she took the occasional staircase three steps at a time, her rate of velocity increasing with her desperation.

He didn't need to pull up her profile to match up the files on record. There was no question that this was Tali'Zorah. And she was headed towards the bridge, exactly as predicted.

Rukin turned back to the sergeant, "I'll be back with her. Keep your guard up and let me know when Shepard arrives." He quickly indicated a few men as he jogged over to the lift in the corner of the room, "You men with me! We've located the target! Pick your targets carefully, tight spaces all around, this is it!"

_Soon I'll have you, you little bitch._

* * *

Tali ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't even consider the danger of rushing headlong down an occupied vessel, she just wanted to get to the once place she knew was safe. She needed to inform the captain.

A Cerberus engineer accompanied by two grunts lined the door. The engineer was trying to hack their way open but Tali wasn't about to let that happen. Unhooking her shotgun, she quickly loaded the clip and slammed another one in, causing the men to turn towards her. The carnage blast that erupted from the shotgun turned the engineer into chunks of meat, spraying the soldiers and the door behind it.

The gun had cooled down at this point, allowing her to calmly burst each one of their chests methodically, temporarily ending the current threat. One small victory at a time.

The door took a moment to scan her authorization before it opened. She sputtered as the ancient contraption tried to cycle the motion of opening as soon as possible. Her impatience and fear were bubbling in a deadly combination, causing her to throw herself against the door, pounding it to open quickly. The agonizingly slow wait finally culminated as the door gently slid open, oblivious to the danger inherent.

Tali burst onto the bridge as she panted, "Engines…destroyed, Captain. Can't…repair them…from here."

The news was not pleasing to Kar'Danna, who let out a string of choice curses. "_Damn it_, Cerberus has us completely locked out."

Tali gulped in a breath of the stale air that her filters allowed her to breathe, "Have we…been able to alert…the other admirals?"

Kar'Danna shook his head, "Not after the initial assault. Cerberus is jamming us and any attempt on our end to board the _Rayya_ is met with utter disaster. The ships blockading us are merely blasting the shuttles out of the sky as they try to dock."

Rael stepped forward, "It is with a heavy heart that I say this, Kar…but we must evacuate. We cannot destroy the _Rayya_, but that does not mean that we can leave it temporarily."

"Are you _insane_, Rael? Do you know how many quarians will starve if the-"

"We will ration our reserves as necessary, but this is only a minor setback. We have the edge in numbers and Cerberus can't hold onto it forever. They will slip up one day and we will be able to retake it."

Tali looked nervously back and forth between her father and the captain. They both raised valid points but she was uncertain of whom to back up. The thought of leaving a liveship to these…monsters felt wrong down to her core. But at the same time, the loss of life was getting too high and that to survive, they needed to fall back. They could return with a stronger force the next time, they would get the Rayya back, just like they would get their homeworld back.

"I can't believe you're asking this of me, Rael," Kar'Danna sighed, "I…I understand your position, but I just can't leave…"

"Kar," Rael tried again, "I know that-"

"Wait, Rael. I said that I'm not leaving, but _you_ are."

"What? _No_, Kar. We're going together and I'm not leaving a friend behind!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter! It is the duty of the captain to be bound to his vessel and the _Rayya_ is my vessel. And because it is mine I can give you this order: evacuate. Get out of here and go to safety. Bring back every ship you can to free us. I will wait here and-"

**BOOM**!

The captain was cut off as the door to the bridge exploded outward, pieces of shrapnel and red hot flame spewed everywhere. A few marines yelled out as the scorching metal punctured their suits, the breaches and the pain causing them to double over. Tali was knocked backward into a console but was otherwise undamaged. From her position, she was unable to see much, other than Kar'Danna clutching his head and her father groaning on the ground.

Her ears were ringing but were pulsing as a thumping bass vibrated the ground near where she lay. It took a few seconds to determine that the vibration came from a weapon, an assault rifle. Peeking her head up, she watched in horror as the three marines in the room fell to the ground for good, their chests burst outward as the bullets impacted with their fragile frame.

There were muffled voices in the air as she tried to crawl away. Tali's sense of direction had been completely distorted, she had no clue of where to go. Her vision was blurry and now her ears were ringing. She tried groping for her shotgun at her back but panic flared through her when her fingers clutched at nothing. When she reached down to her hip for her pistol she was met with the same result. She was weaponless, shieldless, and completely helpless.

Mumbling in disgust, she rolled on her back as she quickly sized up the room. There were no decent places to hide, she would be found within seconds. There were no guns in the shambles of the bridge, nothing in sight.

Tali heard a yell as Kar'Danna stood up in her peripheral vision. He was brandishing a shotgun and firing it quickly beyond the shattered remains of the door. She couldn't see what he was shooting at but gasped when he was knocked back from a round in the shoulder. He tried to rise, gun in hand, but his chest spurted blood as another bullet struck home.

A white armored human in a gold helmet moved in, she could now see. Without giving the wheezing captain the time to say another word or fire another shot, the human grabbed the quarian's head as a pistol was shoved to his temple. A hole suddenly appeared on the opposite side of Kar'Danna's head as blood and brains exploded out of it. Quickly and professionally, the soldier let the body fall to the ground where it then lay.

The armored centurion raised his helmet and his body language shifted, as if he was surprised, as if he recognized her. The odd choice of words immediately came back to Tali as the connection was made.

_ID match…non-lethal takedown…_

ID. Non-lethal. They had attacked the _Rayya_, they had thrown all of these troops at this one ship…for _her_.

As the centurion roughly grabbed her, she didn't even plead. She didn't cry out for help, nor did she even speak altogether. She didn't even know what to ask, she was so confused. But there was no reason for Cerberus to take an interest in her, she had done nothing. What was going on? Why did this have to happen to her?

The hulking soldier roughly threw her to the ground, where she could now see her father. To Tali's shock, Rael was situated on his knees, arms in the surrender position as a tall, built human male calmly pointed a gun at her father's face. The man smiled through a thick goatee as he indicated her with a nod.

"Get in contact with Leng. Let him know that the first stage is now complete." His head may have been aimed toward her, but the order was directed towards a subordinate. Another white trooper quickly walked up to the man who Tali now guessed was the leader.

"Colonel, several squads have reported engagement on the lower levels. Two bogeys, not quarian."

Rukin smiled and quietly laughed, "_Now_ the real fun starts. Tell everyone to be on alert and try to take him alive. If he dies, it's no big loss. The Illusive Man only really wants the body."

"Yes, sir."

"Before you go," Rukin held up a hand, "We need to move them into a more defensible position."

_Defensible position? _Tali thought. _We're being used as hostages. But for whom? Who is "him?"_

"Both of them, sir?"

Rukin tilted his head in thought, "Good point. On second thought, we only need the girl. An admiral would be a nice catch any other day of the week but quarian laws make this sort of thing easy to work around on their end. Give them any notice that we've captured an admiral and they'll elect a new one, rendering his position completely worthless."

_Oh, no…they…they can't…_

The wild-haired man thumbed a control on his pistol and a yellow-green light engulfed it, "You can take her down now, sergeant. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

Tali desperately looked toward her father as he made one final glance. There was a conclusiveness to the situation at this point but she met it with acceptance. There was no question of what was going to happen, so she simply waited for her father to say the words she had been longing to hear all her life. It didn't matter who said them to her at this point, she only wanted to know…to hear… Her father wouldn't want it to end like this without acknowledging what they were. A family…a disjointed family but one who was bound by…by…

"Tali," Rael said serenely as she leaned forward in the grip of the centurion in anticipation, "Do your duty to the Fleet."

_What? No…no! How could you, Father? How could you?_

Rukin made a face and shrugged, "So much for sentimentality."

There was the loud boom of a gun, followed by the smashing of glass, and Tali screamed.


	8. Chapter 7: Assorted Bits

The odd, sideways Y-shape of the _Veritas_ frigate blinked into view as the azure light disappeared around it. The cold fingers of space wrapped around the exterior as the warm light emanating from the center of the system bathed its occupants in red. The soft glow was broken by a series of shadows as the ship edged closer. The further it traveled, the more detail could be discerned.

A fleet of ships, hundreds in fact, were between them and the sun itself. Many were small and looked like they had been cobbled together from a hodgepodge of different crafts outright. A few were sleek and painted white, a gold symbol adorning the wings. Surrounded by these graceful craft was the spherical shape of a quarian liveship, the _Rayya_.

It was certainly a motley collection of ships, but more pressing was the fact that there didn't seem to be any conflict going on. This was a cause for concern because, to the occupants, it meant that Cerberus had their enemies in a vice. They were in possession of the liveship, an enormous vessel responsible for producing a significant portion of the flotilla's food supply. The miniature blockade around it had completely isolated it from the rest of the fleet.

It was clear from the tight formation that any quarian assault to take back the ship was a futile effort. A small shuttle would be shot down immediately, a full scale attack would only risk damaging the _Rayya_ further. In short, it was a stalemate.

Joker tapped on the dashboard of the craft as it edged closer to the liveship, "I hope you realize how dumb this idea is, Shepard? I mean, if the quarians can't get one of their own ships close then what chance do we have?"

Shepard crossed his arms, clad once again in the demonic black armor, red slits peered through what passed for a visor on his helmet. His voice croaked through the voice modulator, "It may seem like a dumb idea on paper, Joker, but this whole charade is merely a trap, and Tali is the bait."

Garrus, now seated in the copilot chair, inspected his rifle for the last time, "So…going by your logic, by acknowledging the fact that a trap exists somehow makes it all right to spring it?"

"If you have an alternative, I'd be delighted to hear it."

The turian shrugged, "It just…isn't going to be that easy, Shepard. If they are aware of what you're capable of in that body…"

"Uh," Joker interrupted, "I hate to break up the argument but we seem to be approaching the blockade…rather fast."

Shepard tilted his head in interest, "That's okay."

Joker turned around to shoot Shepard a glance of extreme apprehension. He acknowledged the man before he explained.

"This body isn't invincible so I don't think blowing this ship up is on their minds to begin with."

"And how are they so sure it's even you?" Joker squinted.

"We kind of did steal this ship from a Cerberus held facility. It's still got the colors on and it still responds to the same designation. It doesn't really leave a lot of room for interpretation when a missing ship is now headed towards a sensitive operation in the middle of the Far Rim. Trust me, they know it's us."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better," Joker groused.

The rest of the ride passed in silence as the craft skirted around the few vessels that guarded the liveship's outer perimeter. Just as Shepard predicted, none of the guns on the Cerberus craft even so much as twitched in their direction. They were definitely going for the "alive" option. The poor fools.

Joker was breathing hard but still maintained a level heading as the _Veritas_ turned ever so slightly to line up with the nearest docking tube. Shepard and Garrus grabbed their assault rifles and readied themselves near the airlock door and waited for Joker's confirmation. Ten seconds later, a series of _thumps_ reverberated followed by a loud _click_ as they were locked into place. A hiss signified a good seal and that they were ready to go.

"Shepard," Joker called out, "I'm in the local security feed. You've got a small squad of five ready to roll out the red carpet just on the other side of the doors."

"Thanks, Joker," Shepard acknowledged, "Guess we're getting right to work very soon." Through proper memorization, he flitted through the option menu in embedded in his retina. Accessing the proper menu, he selected the appropriate file for the voice clip template. Satisfied that the proper procedures had been followed, he closed the open windows that were unseen to anyone but him.

"You ready, Garrus?" Shepard's own voice didn't filter through this time. Rather, a deep, pounding rasp replaced it. The sound was quite sinister and it actually reminded the both of them of Sovereign's pitched, reverberating voice.

Garrus stepped back for a split second before he recovered, "_Spirits_, that freaked me out. Why the hell are you using _that_ voice?"

"Why do you think? I would think that it would be obvious."

The turian scratched his head for a moment, "Well, using it as an intimidation factor would be a strategic maneuver. On the other hand, you've always been fearsome in combat which means that the voice would not be necessary unless…" Garrus' mandibles twitched in surprise, "You're not telling her."

"Nothing gets past your cop mind, huh Garrus?" came the dark, but somewhat accepting tone.

"_Damn it_, Shepard…after what we just talked about, after what you promised me, you're still going to treat Tali this way? You're still going to play up your little disguise in the hopes that-"

"That is not my intention!" Shepard shouted, the noise frightfully loud in the cramped cabin, "I have no choice in this situation! I told you my reasoning before, I cannot let Tali see me like this! I just can't!"

"So this is just to protect her? To hide what you've become? She'll find out sooner or later, Shepard."

"I know she will, but she will never accept me if she-"

"Stop saying that!" Garrus roared, "You've said that several times to the point where you're repeating yourself! If you want to continue to cower behind a mask, that's fine. I won't tell her about you, Shepard, if I see her." The turian backed off, "This is something that either she has to find out on her own, or you go ahead and take that leap. Either way, it's none of my concern anymore. It's _your_ burden to bear so I won't bring it up anymore."

"Good," Shepard muttered darkly, "I'm _so_ glad we had this discussion."

The cyborg backed away towards the airlock controls, signifying that the exchange was now over. Shepard waited for Garrus to signal his readiness, hand outstretched over the release button. Garrus sighed in frustration, emotions writhing painfully at the transformation of his friend. He wasn't making things any better, from the looks of it. Every time he brought the subject up, Shepard always reacted strongly, as if something was eating him from the inside.

This was what made Shepard so enraging sometimes. He never wore his heart on his sleeve. He never had reacted impulsively through the guidance of emotional turmoil. He never confided in many people in his life, actually. He was a stoic commander, unyielding, and impressively precise as a leader.

But all that had been taken away from him. He was no longer a leader, he no longer had any more ties to his humanity, and he could no longer control his emotions from lashing out at the nearest person. Shepard was an empty shell, looking for some semblance of purpose but was fighting to keep a sense of logic in his actions. Deep down, perhaps he feared that the people who he let get close to him would see him as a liability, a weakling, someone who was incapable of controlling their life to the point where they had no reason to live anymore.

Separating the deluded man from his fantasy would be an arduous task. Sooner or later, he would have to accept who he was. Garrus sincerely hoped that his former commander would wake up from his never ending nightmare, if he even had the capacity to wake up in the first place.

Garrus gave a curt nod and Shepard hit the switch. The door cycled open a microsecond later but their weapons were already in position. Shouts of surprise and alarm hit them moments before they pulled the trigger, blurry white figures dancing momentarily beyond his threshold.

Both of them pulled their triggers and the hallway erupted in noise.

* * *

A snap hissed by Garrus, causing him to involuntarily blink in surprise. His finger was still depressed on the trigger, automatic bursts covering the area of fire. His body jerked as it felt like someone was giving him rather soft punches to his midsection. Those were just his shields taking the impacts from the opposing side.

The adrenaline was distorting his sense of time. Bright flashes from the barrel of his gun bloomed in slow motion, white plastic exploded into the dusty air, blood blossomed from the men into the dusty air. He breathed in and out as the shockwaves from nearby bullets pulsed through his ears, making them _pop_ in response.

Garrus finished his blink as he now beheld the five bodies lying on the ground. Both his and Shepard's guns were smoking from the assault, but it wasn't done yet. The pair moved out of the tube into the hallway, where they could hear frantic orders being shouted, trying to yell over the upcoming din.

Shepard rounded the corner and began firing, Garrus staying behind to cover him, matching his intensity in earnest. The cyborg didn't even bother with trying to remain in cover, his shields were doing an admirable job of protecting his chassis and the targeting software that controlled his aim and reflexes was doing his job for him.

Snap movements from one head to another yielded precise results. Every time a trooper made the unwise move of peeking out of cover, they had a bullet sent through their cranium. Anyone close enough in arm's reach of Shepard found themselves lying broken at his feet, usually from the combination of several bone-shattering blows that did unspeakable internal damage.

Garrus cautiously moved up as Shepard ejected another spent heat sink. Rather than reach for another, he simply moved the gun to the magnetic strip on his back and projected his omni-sword as he burst out of the hallway into an amphitheater. Cerberus troops were scattered throughout the room and they overturned chairs and tables to set up makeshift forms of cover.

Such precautions were only delaying the inevitable, from Shepard's point of view. If he was simply another flesh-and-blood organism, he would have not acted so callously, with such disregard to his own life, that it made Garrus open his mouth wide with shock at what transpired next.

Shepard plunged a fist through an overturned table, grabbing a man by the neck as his arm fully extended. With a firm grip now established, he immediately yanked his arm back but the man's head caught on the small opening from the force of the initial blow. There was the tremendous sound of a snapping neck, but it went unnoticed over the ruckus of the firing guns.

He was already moving on to the next one. Shepard vaulted over a small barrier and swung his fist in a hammer motion to the side. It struck a soldier on the temple, the skull crushing inward, and he collapsed. Ducking from a point-blank burst, he turned and swiped his arm with the omni-sword across, disemboweling another man and letting his guts now stain the floor.

Garrus was hanging back, his sniper rifle now unfolded. Every enemy in the room was so focused on Shepard that they didn't even see the turian lingering in the shadows. Garrus peered through the scope as he swung the gun to the far side of the room. He let the crosshairs gently rest over the head of a man busy shooting at Shepard, unaware of how sudden the end would come to him.

A loud noise came, followed by a splatter. A perfect headshot.

Garrus moved the gun to the right a bit. The first casualty had been positioned behind his comrades so they were oblivious to the fact that a man was down on their side. The turian repeated the process four more times, exhaling when he saw bloody chunks expel from his marksmanship.

There were no more enemies left in the room, but Garrus did not holster his weapon. Instead, he came out of his crouch to join Shepard, who was standing in the middle of a pile of bodies, the blood of which was staining his boots. The armored cyborg was completely coated with red, but he didn't seem to notice. He was staring intently at the men he'd just dispatched with ease, his expression and body language unreadable to Garrus.

Rather than pry for more information, he gently put a hand on Shepard's shoulder. The human whirled at the touch but relaxed when he saw the turian's face. Shepard merely nodded and tilted to his head in a gesture for them to continue on their path. They moved to the door on the far side where their objective supposedly lay.

They were not expecting the absolute size of the craft to be revealed to them when they stepped through that door. They were now perched on a walkway on what appeared to be a structure embedded in the middle of the liveship. They could see all around them as the cavernous interior stretched for miles, the walls wrapping completely around them. The spherical shape of the ship was one of the most impressive sights Shepard had ever known and he expelled a breath of awe as the entire chamber rotated in place.

As they stepped off the catwalk moving forward, the flat platform that they were on now was a landing pad of sorts. And it was surrounded by Cerberus troops, both on the platform and on the railings above. Each one took precise aim at the new entrants, as if that was going to do much good.

"I'll take bottom, you take top," Shepard whispered.

"Got it,"

"Split, now!"

Both of them dived in opposite directions as the bullets smacked into the space they had just occupied. Breaking out of his roll, Shepard now had his assault rifle back in hand as he swept it across the flat surface, short bursts coming from the gun as enemy after enemy was felled.

Garrus too got out of his roll only to drop down into a maintenance crevice. Now in cover, he could get a good bead on the guys shooting at them from above. It was almost too easy as he only had to point and shoot.

A grenade went off near Shepard but he plowed through the smoke and dust to punch the thrower straight in the face. The frontof the helmet shattered as blood spurted out from between the cracks. Before the body had hit the floor, Shepard's Carnifex was in his hand as he stood sideways to aim at the next set of troopers that burst through the door.

Three shots, three hits. All dead.

One last boom echoed in the spacious area as a final body tumbled from the rafters to land with a meaty _smack_ on the metal ground. Garrus shuffled out from his hidey hole to rejoin Shepard on the other side of the platform, giving the soldier a solid kick for his reassurance.

"Garrus," Shepard said, "Go up top and find a perfect position where you can do some damage."

Now was not the time to question orders. "On it, Shepard," Garrus nodded before pausing near a ladder, "What are you going to do?"

If there wasn't a helmet on his face or if he had a face at all, the turian could have bet everything he owned that the human would be smiling.

"I'm going to do what I do best."

* * *

Tali sniveled as a harsh jab into her back sent her stumbling. She barely caught herself as the butt of the gun had rudely interrupted her as she was shuffling along down the hallway. The quarian was incapable of thinking clearly as the death of her father had completely sapped her resolve away.

_You couldn't say it, could you, Father? Even when you knew you were going to die, you couldn't tell me that you loved me. When am I ever going to hear that from anyone? Who do I have left that could possibly care?_

The quartet of white troopers that surrounded her shunted her forward in their brisk pace. She begrudgingly complied as she matched them, body numb at this point to any further trauma.

The human with the bushy goatee in front barked out an order, a lieutenant running up to him as he bent to speak a few words that Tali couldn't catch. He seemed agitated, as if things were not going according to their plan.

But what plan would that be? If she wasn't the target then what was the point of all this? Why go to so much trouble to get her if their attention was not going to be on her anyway?

Continuing to walk hurriedly along, she realized that they were headed to the hanger bay. Cerberus must have placed a shuttle during the siege for easy access to the liveship. It was all uncharted territory for her now, she had no idea what was going to happen or where she was going to go. All she could do was sit back and let things unfold as fate intended.

It might not have been the best timing for Tali to suddenly get superstitious because her divine providence suddenly took shape as the door ahead of the main group slammed shut, cutting them off from the leader and the lieutenant, both of whom stared incredulously at the closed blast door. She could see them screaming in their comms from the other side, but no words could be heard. They engaged their omni-tools to hack open the door but quarian software systems were notoriously complex to crack. It would take them a better part of an hour to find a way through a simple door.

The four soldiers fidgeted anxiously alongside her. A couple of them tightened their grips on their weapons so hard she could hear the plastic straining.

One of the men turned, "If she makes a move, no matter what the boss says, kill her."

"Can't we just knock her out? Save us the trouble of-"

"Nope, no chances. We waste her right here and then we hope that nothing has been compromised, boss be damned."

"I don't believe _that_ will be necessary," a new voice rasped from the shadows.

The soldier nearest to the noise screamed in reaction and depressed the trigger on his Mattock on full auto. Bullets sprayed across the hall, the flashes causing Tali to squint her eyes from the strobing.

The firing suddenly stopped as a wet _pop_ sounded in lieu of the loud bangs and the man fell, with half his head missing. His comrades uttered cries of horror before a series of pistol reports were uttered from a dark corner and all three of them collapsed together, blood streaming down their chestplates as their heads and necks were completely destroyed from the Carnifex's stopping power.

Tali cried out as she covered her face with her hands, awaiting the same fate that befell her armed escort. If this was how it would end, then so be it. But the sound never came, there was only the soft clicking of a pistol being holstered and a series of heavy clangs as boots traversed across metal ground. She sensed a presence right in front of her and she timidly lowered her arms down so she could behold who she now realized was her savior and not her executioner.

He was tall, taller than a quarian. Judging by the size and shape of the form before her, this new person was most definitely a human. His armor was all black, shiny, as was his helmet apart from four red glowing strips that served as the eyeslits. His entire form was draped in a long coat, hiding most of his body contours as it lazily waved from his motions. Up close, she could now see that he was stained with dust and blood, no questioning where the latter came from. The intimidating physique of the man was rather frightening to Tali and she shrunk back a little in fear.

"Who…." she stammered, "Who _are_ you?"

* * *

As the four bodies fell around her, Shepard calmly put his weapon away, trying to minimize his frightful appearance to the quarian. He could see her yelp in fear as she most likely thought that the next shot would find her next, but she would soon realize that it wasn't the case.

He started to walk forward as he took in the sight of her. Tali had changed, in terms of appearance. Her simple, purple hood that had become her defining feature, apart from her purple visor, was the same, although her helmet featured some more silver accents. The neckpiece was now gold colored and her boots were made out of a firmer material. The entire suit was more intricate and thought out rather than the motley collection of straps and buckles the last time he had seen her. Now, her suit was organized in a manner that suggested that she had meticulously planned and designed every aspect of this suit all on her own. Tali always did the best with what she had available.

She had grown up, he realized. There was a firmness in her posture that gave her an edge he had never seen her exhibit before. It made her all the more striking.

She lowered her arms to finally take in whoever saved her. When he was mere feet from her, she stepped back a few steps, alarmed at the sight of the man in front of her.

"Who…" came that familiar voice, "Who _are_ you?"

It took all of his might to not answer her query truthfully. Instead, he took an unseen breath before finally speaking after a pregnant pause, in his deep voice this time, "A friend. I'm here to get you to safety." Shepard bent down and plucked a spare pistol up from the ground. Its owner didn't need it anymore and he offered it to the quarian with an outstretched hand.

She seemed to gain some confidence at this, taking the offered weapon, "Do I…know you? Have we met before?"

Heart pounding, it was an enormous effort for Shepard to shake his head back and forth in response. "We share some things in common, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. Our hatred of Cerberus being one of them."

Now it was her turn to shake her head, "_Vas_ Rayya. Tali'Zorah _vas_ Rayya. I completed my Pilgrimage already. You know, the-"

"-The quarian rite of passage in which something of value is exchanged for-" Shepard blurted out before stopping himself. _Just shut up. Shut up and don't say anything else, asshole. Stop giving away any hints about who you are! She can never know!_

Tali tilted her head in confusion, "That's…right. I haven't met many…um, humans who know our traditions before."

"I've been all over the galaxy," Shepard was relieved at the chance to correct his gaff, "I've seen and heard many things that would surprise most people." While they were talking, he waved to get them moving. She picked up on the cue and they sidled off down a deserted hallway as Shepard took point, pistol aimed forward.

"I know the feeling," Tali sighed, "But I still have a few questions to ask."

"Can this wait a bit?"

Tali shrugged, "We have time and there's a room we can go into over there." She jerked her thumb at a spare bedroom nestled in the corner.

Shepard huffed, "Fine." He stalked inside the cramped room, Tali following. The door slammed behind them and it was only when he heard the soft pinging of the door locking itself did he suspect anything was amiss. He turned around to now see the pistol that _he gave her_ aimed at his head, the hand that was holding it was trembling as the quarian's eyes were wide.

_Goddamn it. That makes it three out of three. I really despise this type of greeting and it could have been easily avoidable this time!_

As Shepard stewed at the hidden fact, Tali mustered some strength in her voice, "First things first, how do you know who I am? I don't know you and I don't know how you got here, so you better have a good explanation for this. Right now would be preferable."

"Does it really matter if I know who you are?" Shepard growled.

"Yes," she hissed, "It _does_ matter. Why would _you_ even care in the first place? Humans don't care about anyone other than humans so why help me?"

"Do you really believe that?"

"I didn't in the beginning! I once thought that _all_ humans were selfless, that they strived to help anyone that needed assistance! That they actually _cared_ about others…" She took a breath as she spoke, "But my one experience with humans close up was an anomaly, a fluke. He was killed a while ago and today Cerberus has taken away the one other person who I cared the most about in this galaxy! I have more reason than you to hate them, so I want to know the truth, starting with who you are, right here, _right now_!"

_One experience? Killed? She's referring to me._

Shepard backed up until his legs collided against a chair. Slowly lowering himself down, his limbs groaned from the reprieve as the barrel of the pistol never left his face. He kept his gaze firmly on the quarian across from him as he chose his next words carefully, glad at the fact that his voice was disguised so he could no longer give away any more hints to his true identity.

"All right, _Tali'Zorah vas Rayya_, I'm not here to argue the merits of who should hate Cerberus more but there are more pressing matters at hand. First off, I used to be an Alliance marine stationed at Yandoa. This was back in 2170, when the old E-A refinery was still standing."

"I'm…I'm not familiar with Yandoa."

Shepard was pleased that she had started to bite into the lie, "I'm not surprised. It's not an event that would rate highly on the quarians' radar. Point is, the refinery was sabotaged, blown up, by Cerberus that year, exposing all of the colonists in the area to dust form element zero." Shepard made sure to slightly adjust his body position so that Tali could read his devotion to his story, "Most of the colonists died from the toxic exposure, but I got…well, I guess you could say lucky but I still refuse to use that word in my case. I was in the initial radius of the explosion during my shift and I was close enough for the heat to neutralize the raw eezo in the air. Unfortunately, it left me with severe burns all over my body. I was evac'd off planet where I underwent treatment to regen my skin."

"Did…did it work?"

"A bit. The results worked but it just wasn't me anymore. It didn't seem like who I was, this new skin, this…new body." It was much easier for Shepard to draw from parallels rather than fabricate an entirely different scenario in his head.

"They can fix that now, can't they? So much has changed in the field of-"

"It doesn't matter right now," Shepard interrupted with a wave of his hand, "The point I'm trying to get to is this: I'm just a soldier who got his whole life stolen away by Cerberus and I want to right all the wrongs that they've done in the past. What they've done to the Alliance...to the _galaxy_...cannot be forgiven. I'm here now because one of their bases happened to divulge sensitive information that they were going to attack the quarian flotilla and so I jumped at the chance to kill these bastards."

Tali's grip relaxed somewhat, "I'm not convinced by that. Why would they gun for me specifically? There would have to be a connection between you and me for there to have any purpose in launching this assault in the first place."

Shepard almost couldn't bring himself to say his next words, "There is no connection. Cerberus caught on to my aggressive maneuvers and used the attack as a ploy to draw me out. _I'm_ the priority target. You only got in the way. I had recovered a list of potential victims that they had listed as options to use for hostages. I made sure to memorize every name on it. _You_ were on it, as was your father, Rael'Zorah."

Tali dipped her head, "Rael…my father…is dead. They shot him not half an hour ago."

A metal fist clenched at the woman's words but held back lest the synthetic sound would arouse suspicion, "I'm…I'm sorry for your loss. But you have to understand how Cerberus operates. They would have used you as a ploy to draw out a reaction from your father, perhaps to get him to act rashly and to cost more lives in an attempt to save your life. That's how Cerberus operates: to win at the most bloodiest of costs."

The pistol slowly drew away from Shepard's head as Tali now sat across from him, "So…they were never after me specifically the whole time…" She sat in a position of disbelief for a few seconds before rising again, Shepard matching her move. She shook her head in remorse as she spoke.

"I-I'm…I'm so sorry for pointing the gun at you. It's just…after today…I don't know how-"

The hand that gently grasped her shoulder moved involuntarily, as if Shepard had no control over his motor functions at this point. The grip was firm but gently enough to steady and reassure her. She relaxed and stopped stammering as she looked up at him, no longer afraid in his presence.

"T-Thank you…but I still don't know your name."

"You can just call me 'Jenkins.'" The familiar name brought a pang to Shepard as he recalled the young, eager soldier who had departed his life far too soon. The borrowing of the man's name was a title out of respect, out of acknowledgement for his small, but pivotal role in his travels. Jenkins would have been proud to have his former commander remember him in such a way.

"Okay…Jenkins," Tali let the foreign name roll off her tongue, sizing him up with his appropriated name. "Did…did you have a plan for what happens next?"

Shepard knew what to say next, even if there was little validity in his claims, "My entire mission has gone to shambles. We are currently outnumbered and outgunned. You're the only one of merit left on this ship. I have transport waiting at the tubes, we can get you out and back to the rest of the flotilla in no time."

"I…" she said haltingly, "I'm not sure…it doesn't seem right to just _leave_…"

The grip on her shoulder tightened, "I know it feels wrong to be put in this position, but there aren't any other options. You can either remain here and most certainly get killed or follow me to safety. In the end, you'll have to make a choice, whether you like it or not."

_"I'm sorry, Ash. I had to make a choice," he had said, leaning over the railing by the bay, as both Tali and Garrus fidgeted in the background, peering around anxiously..._

Tali sighed, firmly stationary thanks to Shepard still holding onto her, "And why do you care if I live or not? I might not have anything left worth fighting for except an inept fleet and a cause that died over a year ago. There is nothing that could possibly be waiting for me at the end of all this. _Nothing_."

He decided to press his luck, "You did mention that there was one other person who you cared about. Who was it, your mother? A friend?"

"I…I guess you could have called him a friend…um, _I_ certainly thought of him as one."

"What happened to this quarian friend of yours?"

"Oh no!" she said quickly, "He wasn't a quarian. He was actually a human, believe it or not, but he was…well…he was kind and friendly and…and I thought that maybe one day…oh, it was such a stupid thought…"

_What are you doing? Are you deliberately trying to get your hopes up? She can't know, she won't know. Don't go any further with this and stop acting like an idiot!_

Shepard shook his head as he spoke, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry I brought him up. It seems like a sore subject and it isn't fair that I reopen that to you. But do you really think that the people who do care about you would want you to view yourself as someone who's essentially worthless? You have your whole life ahead of you! There's no reason to give up now." He patted Tali awkwardly on the arm, but it seemed to reassure her, nonetheless, "So, Miss _vas_ Rayya, are you going to just give up and let Cerberus win or are you going to just twiddle your thumbs in despair? I'm getting the hell off of this place and I suggest that you do too. But, in the end, _you're_ the one who has to make the choice."

Tali's eyes shone behind the visor as she gave a soft laugh, "You're rather insightful, for a _human_."

"My experience with quarians has crafted the impression that all are impressively selfless and amazingly loyal. I keep finding myself having to consistently tell every quarian that I meet how important they are and that they need to be rather individualistic once in a while. It's just unfortunate that you've been painted a rather skewed picture on humans in general, perhaps. But would the interaction between two halfway decent humans in your life at least change your perceptions a little?"

Tali stepped back, never taking her eyes off Shepard as she reached behind her to unlock the door, cycling open behind her.

"No. But it's a start."

* * *

Garrus slammed a fresh clip into his rifle as he sprinted down the catwalk. Bullets made pings off the metal as the slugs shattered against the impassive face of the ship. He scowled as he slid to a halt, crouching behind a guardrail as he set up his weapon.

A clambering sound caused him to turn around. He could see that a small squad of soldiers was making their way toward him, guns at the ready.

Garrus muttered a curse, there was no time for him to stand. His arm shot to his side as he threw himself on his back, bullets flying over his prone body. Tilting his head up, he depressed the trigger on his pistol once…twice…three times. His shields took a beating but the danger had passed once the last body plummeted over the railing into the depths of the liveship. This was getting tense.

Getting back into position, he laid the rifle over the rail as his eyepiece indicated where Shepard was at the moment. It looked like he was in the central structure in the middle of the sphere so he kept the sights of the rifle trained across the way.

There were a few troopers milling about so it was almost a casual reaction for Garrus to tilt the sights in their direction and pull the trigger. There was something satisfying about seeing the blood splatter the ground as he fired again and again. It wasn't a desensitized mental response, but a precise and calculated disposition towards achieving a strategic objective.

"Garrus," his comm blared as Shepard's voice burst unevenly from it, "Where are you?"

"I'm in position," he replied, careful not to use Shepard's name in case this wasn't a private conversation. "Is this a party line?"

"No, it isn't. I have Tali with me but we're going to be out in the open for a bit. Can you see the main footway from where you are?"

"It's right across from me. You've got a few idiots on all levels so there's going to be some intense crossfire."

"That won't be a problem. What will be a cause for a concern is protecting Tali. We're going to need some cover, you up for it?"

Garrus smirked, "I got you all the way."

Less than ten seconds later, the turian saw two forms burst out from a doorway on the right side of the opposite catwalk, on the middle floor. They were moving fast and the Cerberus troops glanced in their direction, having heard their heavy footsteps. They started to ready their weapons but Garrus had them beat. Blood flew in an extended spurt as a round passed through a man's neck on the top floor, causing him to collapse like a puppet with its strings cut. His comrades next to him stopped focusing on Shepard and Tali and jumped in alarm, not knowing whether to stay or run. Their hesitation cost them their lives.

The top floor was now clear but there were still at least five guys shooting from below. Shepard and Tali had cleared their catwalk, the former expertly dispatching them with his weapon of choice. Garrus started to focus on one of the men aiming their weapons up but a grey object tumbled down Garrus' sight through the scope. Annoyed, he panned down to see a squat, cylindrical object at the foot of one of the men. A gift from Shepard. The turian could barely suppress a laugh as he looked up to see the results.

The grenade detonated with the force of a small bomb. The five men were disintegrated, their bodies consumed by the conflagration. The footway also did not escape unscathed. A tortured render of metal caused a horrific shriek as it burst from its foundation to tumble end over end to the ground far below. Garrus' eyebrows shot up at the crash that succeeded and grunted in satisfaction.

They were in the clear. His job was done, for now.

* * *

"You had backup?" Tali asked as they shut the door behind them.

"An old friend," Shepard cryptically answered, "He shared my distaste in Cerberus enough to tag along."

"Hm, Jenkins. You are full of surprises."

_If you only knew._

He waved Tali for her to stick close. A grinding sound was now in the air as if they were approaching a manufacturing plant. Huge, heavy _clangs_ resonated enough for Shepard to turn and fire a query.

"What's down here?"

"Refuse disposal," she responded, "Basically one huge incinerator."

There was a window in the dim room and Shepard moved over to it to get a better look. From here, he could see that the room that they were situated in was over a conveyor belt. That belt snaked through a maze of machinery towards a large gout of flame that was positioned on the far end of the disposal room.

He nodded before turning back to Tali, "Okay, no more sightseeing. Docking tubes are a few hundred meters away, we just need to get to-"

Tali jolted as she saw something beyond Shepard, yelling, "_Behind you_!"

Shepard instantly moved in front of Tali, letting the bullets impact on his own shields before he even knew who was attacking. Three men were approaching from the other side and Shepard craned his head to shout to Tali, "Go back through the door and use it as cover, I'll handle them!"

He watched her flee in earnest before turning around to properly dispose of yet more faceless troops. Shepard didn't even have a chance to fully perceive them before a huge fist caused him to stagger in place. His vision was still crystal clear but it was still a sobering experience. He hadn't been hit like _that_ yet. This must have been one desperate person to try to take him on with just his fists.

It only took another moment before a blow to his midsection caused him to double over and wheeze in pain as his organs were uncomfortably pressed against one another in his synthsac. He coughed and could now see a small dab of blood spurt against the interior of his helmet. Definitely not good.

A knee was brought up to his face and Shepard now found himself on his back, all of his weapons dislodged and rolling away. Stunned, he could only watch as a huge pair of hands grabbed the front of his armor and hurled him against the plate glass window. Loose, jagged panes tumbled with him, the soft tinkling a kind music as he could only think, _How could this happen?_

Shepard blinked and righted himself mid-air as the internal software positioned his feet according to his gyroscopic orientation. Boots hit the metal of the conveyor belt and he felt another thud behind him as his relentless pursuer followed.

What was bothering Shepard more than his hurt pride at being thrown through a window was the fact that the heat was making the internal sensors of his helmet distort and fail. The display in front of his face was starting to spark in a wash of static, rendering him partially blind. It could only impede him at this point so he yanked it off and threw it, hearing the loud clatter as it tumbled away. The giant across from him only laughed behind his white enviro-armor as he stepped forward.

His vision now cleared, Shepard was now free to view the huge man as he slowly stalked forward on the conveyor belt. Shepard grimaced, "What _have_ they been feeding you over there?"

Rosun grinned underneath his own helmet, ignoring the jibe, "You must be the one they're looking for. Rukin said you'd be here."

"Should I know who Rukin is?" The conveyor belt was still carrying them closer to the raging inferno, the heat getting stronger and starting to worry Shepard.

"Not particularly. He would- _guh_!"

Rosun choked as Shepard stepped in to sink a fist into the big man's stomach. Another blow to the chest dented the material slightly but Rosun recovered quickly and viciously sent a haymaker into Shepard's cheek. He spun around from the impact and sank to his knees momentarily, shocked.

"You interrupted me," Rosun growled, "That wasn't very nice."

"I'm not a very nice guy."

Springing off, Shepard roared as he raised his arm to hurl a punch. However, he was had maneuvered too close to the giant and the blow was easily plucked out of the air. Shepard's eyes briefly widened in shock before Rosun raised a leg and kicked him to the ground again.

_Okay, this isn't going to work._

Small tubes up ahead were ejecting columns of flame onto the belt, and Shepard was too stunned to even move in his position. As the belt carried him into the flame, he simply laid there and let the heat and fire surround him in its warm embrace. Behind him, there were a few thumps as Rosun jumped over the flames, taking his time in the fight.

Shepard groaned as he tried to get up once he had been carried out of the inferno. His coat was completely ruined, despite the fact that it was fireproof. The flames had completely singed it to the point where it was starting to disintegrate, so he just shrugged it off. His armor was also in dire need of repairs. Light armor by itself is not rated for extreme environments, unlike Rosun's heavy armor. The high temperature had rendered it cracked and peeling, making his movements stiff.

Rosun was still stalking forward but Shepard had recovered by this point. Rushing toward him, Rosun was caught off guard as Shepard drove two quick strikes in to Rosun's stomach, causing him to double over in pain. That was the chance that he needed. He drove his fist upward in an uppercut but his wrecked armor impeded the full force of the blow. As it was, it knocked Rosun over so forcefully that his helmet was ripped off, causing him to start to pour sweat in the harsh area.

This needed to be done with quickly. Shepard started to peel off the layers of armor that surrounded him, the fractured material crinkled as each piece dropped to the floor. Now free from the restrictive prison, Shepard only had the bodysuit over his body as he approached the rising soldier.

Both combatants entered into a dance above the incinerator as each one traded blocks and blows with one another. A fist from Rosun caught the cyborg on the shoulder, staggering him backwards. Shepard leveled a kick that thumped against the man's leg, making him limp. It wasn't until that Shepard moved in to drive his fist into Rosun's face that the huge man stuck out an elbow and flattened Shepard against the floor once more.

Rosun booted him over on his stomach and held him down with his foot, "I was hoping for a better fight than _this_."

Desperation flooding every nerve, it took all of Shepard's strength to turn himself in his current position so that Rosun's foot was now planted on his stomach. But Shepard could use his arms now.

With his powerful limbs, he grabbed the foot that pinned him gripped it tightly with his fingers. Rosun appeared surprised by this new development.

"You talk too much," Shepard snarled and rotated his hands clockwise. There was a sickening _crunch_ as Rosun's leg twisted one eighty degrees. The giant screamed and collapsed, allowing Shepard to rise again. Now pinning Rosun to the ground, Shepard prepared to silence the man before a lack of gravity caused both men to tumble in free fall as they reached the end of the conveyor belt.

To his surprise, they weren't swimming in a molten substance at this point. They had been deposited on a red-hot mesh material. The purpose of such a design was to let the garbage collect at the bottom and let the flame that burned from above turn it into a pile of ash. The ash would then filter through the mesh and down a tube where it would be summarily spaced.

Rosun struggled to get to his feet but his crippled leg was going to make that an impossibility. The man was frantically scrambling on all fours, trying to get off the platform before the inevitable happened. Hearing the man's whimpers, Shepard seized Rosun and held him firmly in place.

"You're not going anywhere, you little shit!"

Rosun writhed in Shepard's grip, screaming, "Let go of me! I'm gonna _die_!"

"Good," Shepard said tonelessly, "That was the inevitable outcome, anyway."

A humongous roar shook the both of them and all of a sudden, Shepard's world was engulfed in flame. He gasped for a second as he recalled pieces of wreckage floating by, the distant pain of dismemberment, the coldness of space.

Shepard saw the black bodysuit singe and turn to ember as it scorched away before his very eyes. His robotic chassis was becoming more and more exposed every second, revealing the demonic creature hidden beneath as his core temperature started to rise.

Rosun was taking the situation far worse. His hair was ablaze, his armor turning to putty. His screams were wet as his organs were ruptured from the intense heat. His armor was becoming soft in Shepard's grip as the fire continued to undulate with them inside it. A thick liquid dripped down Shepard's fingers and he realized, in alarm, that Rosun's face had melted, the shockingly white skull was now blackened and cracked. He let go of the body, letting it fall to the ground and whatever was left of Rosun disintegrated into ash.

The flame stopped and Shepard sighed at the drop in temperature. His body was glowing hot but his internal organs were relatively well protected as the synthsac was made of far less permeable material. The designers of this body had deserved their paycheck through and through.

He leaped toward a ladder before the incinerator could start the next cycle and started to clamber determinedly back up. Eventually, he reached the end of his climb and hurriedly moved from room to room, desperation rising. He had told Tali to run, but he had no idea where she had run off to. He called up his map so that he could estimate the one location to which she would travel to, a place that she would utilize to her advantage.

This one room looked promising on the map, but he had to hurry. No more friends were going to get hurt because of him.

* * *

Tali vaulted behind the podium as she scampered into a hiding spot. She had been unable to shake her two pursuers and had found no suitable location to make a stand. The courtyard that she was in was open enough, why not give it a shot now?

Bringing up her omni-tool, she called forth her attack drone, that she had named Chiktikka. She utilized its combat suite to position it in front of the door she had run through. Awaiting the inevitable resumption of the pursuit, she maneuvered so that she was right beside the door, drawing her knife from her boot, ready for anything.

On cue, the door hissed open and the drone, operating on faster than organic reflexes, arced a bolt of electricity that sent the first Cerberus soldier screaming in pain. Chiktikka had hit her mark.

Tali surged out from where she was hidden as she raked the knife across the man's throat, severing many blood vessels in the process. The surge of blood spouted in a long arc across the room, soaking Tali in the stuff, causing her to gag. As she numbly tried to wipe it off her suit, a blow to her stomach propelled her to the floor, coughing. She clutched her midsection as she saw the other soldier standing above her, weapon raised to her head, ready to reunite her with her father.

Before the reconciliation could get underway, an orange blur swiped across the man's throat from behind. A quick gag was uttered and the man's head fell clean off his shoulders, the helmet rolling down the steps and out of sight. As the body collapsed to the side she felt her body freeze up as every fiber in her body was paralyzed with fear.

A shining figure walked into view, metallic noises coming from every movement. It was humanoid in design but most definitely not organic. The steps it made were heavy and its eyes blazed with an orange hue. Clicks from its fingers deactivated the omni-sword as the light hit it in the face.

As the metallic, ash-streaked skull stared back at her, she let out a soft moan of pure horror. The skeletal chassis sent her into dismay as it regarded her with a terrifying silence. It was the shape of her nightmares, the form of her demons.

A monster.

* * *

_**A/N: With work getting in the way, my usual cycle time has been somewhat impeded at this point.**_

_**My goal is to have another chapter come out by this weekend with the next two after that to follow shortly.**_

_**Some exciting things to happen next!**_


	9. Chapter 8: Commander

Lifeless eyes gazed back at full, expressive ones. It was as if time came to a standstill, the encapsulating regret surging through Shepard at the sight of Tali's reaction of fear. How he had wished right then that he would never have come to the _Rayya_, never have shown up so that she would not be able to see him in this form.

She could now plainly see the real him. His armor purged by the fire, he now stood tall and mighty in his gleaming, soot-streaked body. But he was hideous. Tali could see the hint of a red mass of organs behind the silver and black frame, encased by a synthetic skin sac. The face reminded her of a quarian skull: hollow eyes, exposed jaw, no nose. It was as if a husk had stood before her right this second, she was unable to tell the difference.

The monstrosity held out a hand as it spoke with its deep voice, "Tali…"

She shrank backward as she recognized the voice from before, "No…no…"

The metal skeleton edged closer, "Tali…_please_…"

"Don't…don't call me that…" she shut her eyes as if that would make him go away. Who was this? This is what Jenkins was referring to?

"You need to know, Tali," Shepard held out a hand as he pushed his conflicting thoughts aside. There was no reason to continue the charade anymore. The big reveal had been spoiled and to tell her the truth would assuage the pain somewhat, he hoped. "I need to tell you-"

"Don't tell me anything, _machine_!" Tali screamed as she batted the outstretched hand away, starting to sob.

"You have to hear it! I was never on Yandoa and my name is not Jenkins. Tali, I'm-"

"That just makes you a liar!" Tali backed away, towards the far end of the catwalk. "Why hide the truth from me in the first place unless…" her head tilted in shock, "…unless it was only a ploy to hand me over to Cerberus. Use their synthetic to gain my trust and to do their dirty work…"

"That is not it, Tali!" Shepard shouted, the noise making her shrink, "That doesn't make any sense, why would I go to the trouble of rescuing you from Cerberus if I was going to deliver you to Cerberus anyway? I _don't work_ for Cerberus and I don't want to see you hurt." A last minute thought shot through him and he quickly sorted through the files for his normal voice pattern, replacing the deep, throaty one instead. "I would never do that to you, Tali. I only hid the fact from you because I didn't want you to see what I've become…it's only-"

"_SHUT UP!"_ she shrieked, "Shut up, shut up, _shut up_! How _dare_ you use him as an excuse…how dare you try this on me… to use Shepard against me…"

Shepard tried reaching out to her again, "If you only give me the chance…"

Tali skirted out of arms reach and hissed, "Go to hell, you bastard…or whatever you are." Abruptly turning, she ran down the catwalk, not bothering to look behind her the door opened to allow her inside.

"Tali!" _Real smooth there, champ_. Cursing his luck, Shepard followed her, smashing aside the door as he continually called out her name. "Tali! Come back! Please!" Even if she could hear him, there was no way that she was going to answer him now.

He stopped at an intersection and tried to predict which way she would have taken when there was a muffled sound to his left. He peered down the dusty hallway and started moving towards the entrance at the far end. Pace quickening, he reached the door in seconds and opened his mouth to speak once more.

"Tali? Tal- _agh_!" Electricity shot through his limbs as his body convulsed. Pain was now registering from every nerve as a sizzling noise was heard in the air. He roared as his legs gave out and he hit the deck hard. Shepard's head bounced off the metal and he groaned in response. His movements were sluggish, his brain felt warped. His vision was going in and out as energy surged across his artificial retinas, causing static to occur.

"Sting a little?" A voice spoke scathingly within the room, "Good. Wouldn't want you to be too comfortable."

Shepard now heard tiny whimpers of fear and, laying down on the ground, he tilted his head and saw that Tali was also on the ground, mere feet from him. A Cerberus soldier had her pinned with his knee as his rifle was trained over her head. Shepard now slowly looked around, seeing that there were six other individuals besides him and Tali here. Five of them wore the standard white armor but the sixth was dressed in a sleek, black armor, and held an assault rifle that glowed blue, barrel smoking.

"Operative Leng," the guard holding Tali motioned, "What should we do with her?"

Leng turned, mouth upwards in a cruel smile, "Let her watch. I do so enjoy watching them squirm while waiting for the ax to fall."

Shepard positioned himself slightly upwards as he drew his forearms down. "Let the quarian go, Leng," he snarled, "It is Leng, yes? Let her go, this doesn't concern her." Suddenly he jolted as the lightning passed through his body again, limbs rattling across the floor in shock as he felt everything start to _burn_.

"You like it, huh?" Leng laughed, "Disruptor rounds. Passes right through shields and does well on synthetic targets. Your organic makeup doesn't react well to this kind of ammo, I would guess based on your rather intense reaction. Apparently the charge conducts right into whatever organic parts that are in contact with that metal body of yours. Makes it more painful than it ever could be for a _human_."

"Still got some fight in this one," the guard growled as Tali struggled to get free, writhing against her captor.

The man sighed, "Well, if she tries anything funny again, crack her open. Not exactly a tough decision to make!"

Striving to control his breathing, Shepard coughed, "You only want me. What's one quarian to you? Just take me to wherever you want but you _let her go_."

"You are persistent, my friend."

"You're no friend of mine."

Leng shook his head, "You were supposed to be. Lawson never fully completed her work and her folly has cost us greatly. If only she had implanted that control chip first we might not be here now. As to your original demand, I don't think that will be possible. The quarian has seen too much, knows too much. She's part of your _crew_, after all. Why else do you think we would take a peripheral interest in her?"

"I'm not part of his crew, you _bosh'tet_!" Tali shouted, grunting as she was painfully jammed into the ground, "Why are you talking to it as if you _know_ him?"

"Oh, this is priceless," Leng smiled, eyebrows arcing upward in realization, "You never _told_ her…"

"Told me _what?!_" Tali cried.

"Tali," Shepard cautioned, "Just-"

Leng lashed a boot out and it connected with Shepard's metallic face. There were no pain sensors to activate but the motion was uncomfortable all the same. He shut his eyes for a brief moment. "_Remember your Pilgrimage data_?" he shouted, "Remember Kaidan and Wrex and Garrus? Remember them?"

"_STOP IT_!" Tali sobbed, "Stop talking like him, you're not him! You can't be…"

"Continue speaking in that raised tone and I'll put you down," Leng warned, rifle aimed squarely at the cyborg's forehead.

Shepard seethed, eyes blazing with orange, "I would welcome the opportunity for you to kill me, but not before I say to you who I really am." He took a big breath, daring Leng to pull the trigger at point-blank range, glancing back at the captive quarian, "You might not want to accept the fact that I am who I say I am, but I assure you it's the truth. I…am…Shepard."

"No…" Tali squeezed her eyes shut, the glow only coming by in slits through the smoky purple of her visor, "Stop lying to me…stop it…"

"I am Shepard," he repeated. "I am Shepard, Tali. I was the commander of the Normandy, I saved you from Saren's thugs on the Citadel, I sacrificed Ashley Williams on Virmire!"

"No, no…" Tali mumbled, shaking her head, "Please, no…"

"Stand down, Shepard!" Leng spat, pistol wavering in front of the ex-human's face.

"_You won't kill me_!" Shepard roared, "You can't! You need me for who I am, because I know the truth that is coming to destroy this galaxy. Because I am _Commander John Shepard_!"

Leng flirted with hesitation on what to do, weapon shaking in his grip. Cursing, he suddenly aimed at Shepard's back as he lay on the ground, firing the pistol in small bursts. Shepard screamed as the electric shocks from the disruptor rounds immobilized him and streamed through his very being. The heat was incredible, the pain encompassing all that he was. He still continued to shout and plead as the torturous experience continued. Leng's face was a blank mask as he still fired on his prisoner, seemingly reveling in Shepard's misery as he jerked helplessly on the ground.

* * *

Tali's eyes were wide as she witnessed the shrieking, twisted hunk of metal wreathed in electricity. The noise that filtered through her helmet sent chills up her spine. It was Shepard's voice, no doubt, and she couldn't help but feel like some part of her was being electrocuted as the cyborg continued to scream. It was the sound of a soul being torn apart. It was the sound of Shepard in pain.

_He needs my help._

The knee that had been holding her down had eased a bit and she used it to her advantage. She couldn't reach the pistol that was tucked on her back so she shot an arm out upwards and it caught on the thug's pistol in his holster. Before he could even react, Tali had whipped it out and took her one chance. One shot to end the suffering of the man right in front of her. She let the sights rest on the cruel person who continued in his vile work. _Leng_. But she was rushed and didn't bother to adjust when his head came to rest in front of her and she instantly pulled the trigger.

Kai Leng screamed as he jerked back, blood flying across his face, spewing from his eyes as the bullet passed clean through both of them. He dropped the gun he was holding as he too fell to the ground to wipe away the blood, now blind.

Tali smiled once before a heavy weight smashed into the back of her head. She only had a second to perceive the ground rushing to meet her.

There was a splintering sound as her visor shattered.

* * *

Shepard gasped as the shocks ceased their maddening intrusion. A sudden _thump_ and a series of new yells of pain fluttered through his vocal receptors. He opened his eyes, which had been shut the whole time, and was surprised to see Kai Leng rolling on the ground with blood completely turning half of his face red.

_What happened?_

There was the crinkle of broken glass. Confused, Shepard glanced to his left and saw Tali lying face down on the floor, her head surrounded by a sea of chunks of purple glass, a Cerberus trooper standing triumphantly over her, the butt of his rifle arcing away from the swing.

_No…oh god, no…_

His tracking software had picked up on the fact that Leng had dropped his pistol mere inches from his hand, so with lightning speed, his right appendage grabbed it from the floor. The soldier only now understood the inherent danger added to the confrontation. Shepard was now mobile and unimpeded but this fact came to him too late.

Shepard had switched the disruptor ammo off and growled in satisfaction when the man's head burst apart like a melon, chunks of skull flying everywhere in a wave of red. He rolled on his back so that the next one could come into view. The fool still didn't even have his weapon up. He too fell with half his face missing from the slug that entered just below the cheekbone.

Continuing to curve his aim to the right, the third man had his jaw blown off, collapsing as the blood loss and shock took care of the rest. The fourth and final soldier had his gun up by this point and aimed but Shepard was still quicker on the trigger. His bullet, whether by chance or skill, hit the pistol the soldier was holding and it exploded. Because the bullet's trajectory was aimed towards the man and taking into account the incredible amount of force behind it, the pistol shattered in the man's grip and the fragments were flung into his face, shredding it, leaving behind no facial features to recognize as blood oozed from the hamburger of a head.

Shepard stood up and covered every corner of the room with the gun before deeming it safe. Ignoring the still-moaning Leng, he dropped the pistol and ran over to Tali's prone body, gently rolling her over. The sight before him took his breath away.

Tali's visor was completely gone, smashed to bits. She was now exposed to the harmful particulates introduced by the foreign invaders that her weak immune system couldn't protect against. Her mouth was loosely hanging open, she appeared to be unconscious. All Shepard could see was a glimpse of grey skin and a few errant strands of dark hair before he averted his gaze, trying to abide by her encompassing sense of privacy. Using the map that he downloaded, he saw that there was a med bay only a few levels down. At the rate that Tali was deteriorating (she was starting to cough) he knew that he didn't have much time.

_Nononononono, I can't lose you, Tali. Please, I don't know why but I just can't…_

"Hold on, Tali," he whispered as he scooped her up in his arms. After testing that she was secure in his grip, he started to jog as he felt his pulse race, his desolation rising to the highest peak. The quarian moaned in his arms as he burst out into the open, central chamber, quivering as the air brushed across her exposed face.

"Sh…_Shepard_?" she softly breathed, eyes squinting to adjust at her protector.

"Don't try to talk, Tali."

Whether it was the fact that she was hallucinating or had finally accepted the insane truth, she complied and somehow found the ability to calm herself, perhaps the familiar sound of his regular voice was producing that effect.

He ran across the guarded railing, his footsteps producing huge reverberations throughout the metal. He vaulted over a guardrail to land three stories down on his feet. The shock absorbers embedded in his legs completely took the impact of the fall, to Tali it would have seemed like they only jumped down a small staircase. Shepard waited a bit to let the absorbers cycle back into the ready position before he moved again. The med bay was just across the platform, a large window combined with the visible medical equipment in the background gave it away. He let the door open to his presence and moved over to the nearest bed in the bay.

In assurance, he glanced down and widened his eyes in shock. Tali was smiling back up at him in his arms. He didn't know what to say, how could she be smiling? She must have been more badly hurt than he figured, his fearsome face and body didn't ever cause anyone to spontaneously smile at his appearance before. But he was struck at how the quarian no longer seemed to be afraid, in fact, her eyes gleamed as a few tears started to fill.

As he gently lowered her down onto the bed, the thought came before he had a chance to disregard it: _She's beautiful_.

Tali's breathing was becoming more ragged as she started to lose focus. Alarmed, Shepard started the sterilization cycle on the med-pod, grabbing a breathing mask, after removing her broken covering, to place over her face to prevent further infection. The med-pod was designed to eliminate any foreign contaminants outside or inside the subject presented. The mask over Tali's face softly whooshed as powerful antibiotics were breathed into her system, the cocktail of drugs making her feel woozy.

Shepard stepped back as he unconsciously rubbed his head with a hand. He grabbed a chair and sat next to Tali as the whirring components continued to analyze her, scanning for any potential risk factors that might worsen with time. The list of allergic reactions that Tali was currently suffering through was being listed on a tablet near the bed. He picked it up and mindlessly flicked a finger on the surface, the endless rows of data passing him by in a daze. So, this is where his involvement got him. His life had fallen apart at the seams, his friends were alienated by his mere presence, and a dear friend was now in the process of fighting for her life. Sooner or later, this had to end somewhere, but he couldn't fathom the thought of it having any sort of happy ending.

He lowered his head in his hands, waiting for the diagnostics machine to render a result when he suddenly heard the sound of a pistol being reloaded.

Abruptly standing up, he blinked in shock to see the man who had initially been holding Tali captive was now standing on the other side of the bed, gun at the ready. His stance was well-executed, his posture was correct, and his eyes were squinted in concentration. Shepard instinctively moved away from the bed to not have Tali's prone body between them but the man moved in the opposite direction, never once breaking eye contact.

Something the big thug had mentioned came to Shepard, "You Rukin?"

He nodded once, "Who told you?"

"Just some huge bastard that loved to run his mouth."

"Ah, that would be Rosun. Where is the idiot, anyway?"

"Probably just ash at this point. We had something of a disagreement in the ship's incinerator."

Now Rukin laughed, "_Bravo_, Shepard. I had been wanting to kill that imbecile for months, anyway. He was never the sharpest tool in the shed, if you catch my drift." He looked down for a fraction of a second, "And I see that you managed to keep the quarian alive for this long. An admirable effort, commander. Perhaps Leng's instincts were well-founded after all."

Shepard's eyes swept the room to see if he could use something as a weapon, be it a tool or a blunt object, just _something_. Rukin seemed to have detected that his interest wasn't all captivated on him at this point and took the opportunity to shoot Shepard once in the knee. He gritted his teeth as his leg became numb from the disruptor rounds, thrusting out a hand to arrest his fall.

"Don't even think about it, Shepard," Rukin growled, "I know how resourceful you are, I know your capabilities, your idiosyncrasies. I oversaw your entire 'rebirth,' your creation. _I_ was the one who essentially ran Project Lazarus."

"Project…Lazarus?"

Rukin grinned at the immobilized Shepard, "The whole point of the project was to bring you back to life, in layman's terms, that is. Cerberus managed to recover your body after the Normandy was lost over Alchera."

"What was the point to it all?"

"Humanity needed a symbol. You were the one who helped with our ascension to the Citadel Council. But it was not enough! The blind fools blamed the geth for their troubles and tried to cover up your revelation. The Illusive Man made recovering you a top priority for what you know, for what you can achieve."

Shepard was starting to rise but another burst to the other leg put him down again, "You've been a responsive audience so far, Shepard. I would hate to have you go this far without knowing so calm down right now."

"_Get on with it then_, you fuck," the cyborg spat.

Rukin eyed him before continuing in a mild tone, "Contrary to what you might believe, you were in better shape than what you are in now. It was _my_ idea to put you in an artificial body, a new aspect of control."

"You mean my body was fine before?"

"I wouldn't say 'fine.' Rather, you were still a mess, but a salvageable mess nonetheless. But I introduced the idea of just plopping your organs into a customizable body. It's actually cheaper to design a chassis rather than replicate entirely new skin altogether. My cost-cutting decision was approved and here you are now. The pinnacle of what a man and a machine might become."

Shepard coughed, a dabble of blood beading on the floor, "So…what happens now?"

"Now? You're coming with us, Shepard. We're going to finish our work and make sure that you won't break free again. We-"

"I was talking about _her_," Shepard turned towards Tali, who was still breathing in the medicine through the mask over her face.

Rukin shrugged, "Let's be honest here, Shepard. The quarian was never going to survive this encounter. It would be better for you if she wasn't around any longer to distract you. The more incongruences in your mind, the harder it is to control you."

"You have _me_ now. You don't need her anymore."

"But there will always be doubts in your mind. You can't possibly understand, Shepard, that memories are poison. You can't completely brainwash someone because any programming can be broken. The only way to truly control someone is to eliminate the variables that reach back."

"No…" Shepard whispered as Rukin moved closer to the side of the bed, "You leave her alone…"

Rukin moved over to the control panel and disengaged the recovery subroutine. The hiss of medication ceased and the scanners quit functioning. "When all this is over," he said sadly, "You'll realize that this was no big deal in the end. Really, commander…why care this much for a quarian? Or are you hopelessly devoted to protecting your former crew that you defy logic in an effort to reconstruct your former life? Is all this really worth it?"

"_It doesn't matter what species she is_!" Shepard screamed, scrambling up to reach the controls that could save Tali's life, "She's my friend and part of my crew! I would _die_ for any of them if I had to! They're actual living beings and you people only objectify them like cattle, what gives you the right-"

A trio of shots impacted with Shepard's chest from Rukin's pistol, stopping just above the heart. The beaded electricity jolted into the organ, putting him into cardiac arrest. Clutching his chest, the cyborg collapsed with a crash as his foot twitched once and was still. Rukin maneuvered around the bed to get a better look at him, shaking his head sadly.

"So be it, Shepard." He turned away to head over to the med-bay door, where a white Kodiak shuttle was parked outside. "I need an exfil team in here right away," he spoke into his omni-tool, "We have Shepard and-"

His transmission was interrupted by a loud noise and a sharp twinge near the base of his neck. Rukin immediately clasped a hand to where it felt like he'd been pinched and was shocked to see blood on his fingers. Incredulous, he whirled around staring at Shepard. The cyborg was still motionless but the quarian on the bed was not. Despite all the odds, she was sitting up as she pointed her pistol directly at him, her eyes murderous from behind the breathing mask. Still dumbfounded, he managed to activate his shields a split second before another slug hit him in the face, causing his head to snap back from the impact.

"_Shit! Goddamn it_!" Rukin retreated out the door, cursing some more and yelling to his subordinates out there. Still perched on the bed, Tali leaned over to perceive Shepard, in his hateful metal skeleton blankly staring into nothing as his stasis had completely debilitated him. Now fully conscious, she knew there was no time to debate the merits of what was going to happen next. If they were to survive, she needed to act fast.

Thumbing the control on her gun to switch to disruptor rounds, she closed her eyes as she aimed at Shepard's chest. Praying that it would work, she fired and heard a yell as the cyborg's heart restarted from the electrocution. She opened her eyes as the ex-human's limbs were shaking everywhere, causing a frightful rattle from the metal on metal contact. Eventually, the horrid motions quieted as Shepard's breathing returned to normal. A ragged rasp coming from his throat, he gazed up to see only Tali's eyes, everything else covered by the breathing mask as she leaned down and whispered, "_Kill him_."

He didn't even take the offered pistol as he surged out from his sitting position and raced towards the door, complete rage thundering in his blood.

* * *

Rukin's neck was bleeding heavily as he shouted for reinforcements from the shuttle. The four guarding it immediately readied their weapons as they moved to cover their commander. He opened his mouth to shout another order for disruptor rounds only when the soldier who was closest to the shuttle's head exploded. The body barely finished crumpling to the ground as Rukin heard another boom, another man's cranium departing the dank confines of the skull.

A hundred meters away, Garrus smirked as he calmly reloaded atop the railing for the barracks. The landing pad was a killzone and he had the best seat in the house.

"_Sniper_!" Rukin roared, "Get down!"

He threw himself behind the shuttle as did two others. The last two soldiers that were slow on the uptake faltered before dying in a spray of blood and bone from the sniper's shots. Now a dismal _smash_ was added to the mix but it was coming from behind them instead of from the front, where the shots were originating from. Rukin turned to see a black and grey figure sprint towards them, batting aside a trooper with an arm, the impact breaking ribs.

"_RUKIN_!" Shepard screamed as he closed the gap between them. The two soldiers rushed to meet the cyborg head-on as they aimed their Mattock rifles but Shepard was quicker. Sliding underneath their line of fire, he extended his omni-sword and whirled in a blaze of orange. Pieces of the rifles fell to the ground as the blade neatly dissected them. Realizing the danger, they started to back away but not before Shepard beheaded one and stabbed the other through the chest.

Rukin drew his pistol and leveled off a few shots but Shepard grabbed the impaled body and used it as a shield to absorb the rounds. Blood flew from the cadaver as Shepard started to move forward. Rukin's pistol snapped open as the heat sink ejected, his last one. He reached for a new one but Shepard withdrew his sword and batted Rukin's arm away, the pistol clattering over the edge into the seemingly bottomless chasm below.

Snarling, Rukin produced his own omni-sword as the two circled, staring each other down. Shepard growled, the metallic warble mixed with a static that was eerily inhuman. Rukin waited for the other to make any sudden move but the cyborg betrayed no faults, no tells that he could exploit. Human and machine were intertwined in perfect harmony. Their greatest achievement given form.

Without warning, Shepard launched himself at Rukin, barely given enough time to throw his arm up to block the blow. Sparks clashed as the omni-swords grinded together, Shepard throwing all of his weight behind the blow. Rukin barely flinched and adjusted so he could disengage, breathing heavily.

Shepard now scythed his blade across, Rukin meeting him in earnest. Frustrated, the cyborg tried a series of bone-shattering chops that Rukin either redirected with his own sword or dodged altogether. The blade bit into the ground, scorching it and sending more sparks flying. Rukin backed up near the shuttle but Shepard didn't move in with the sword. He instead faked a blow and threw a punch with his left. The colonel barely had time to duck before the appendage smashed into the metallic surface, indenting it a good foot.

While Shepard had his arm stuck in the shuttle, Rukin rolled away and moved in to stab Shepard. The metallic monstrosity saw the blow coming but was unable to move away completely in time. Instead, he repositioned his body so that instead of impaling him in his midsection, the blade came out through his shoulder. Bits of metal and plastic grated as Shepard instinctively winced, despite the lack of pain.

Muttering in determination, he threw his elbow behind him, impacting in Rukin's stomach and knocking the air out of him with a _whoof_! Now free, he watched as Rukin was doubled over, trying to get his wind back. Raising his blade high, he prepared to deliver a killing blow, but Rukin suddenly swiped his arm across Shepard's chest, the previous act having been a ruse. Shepard leaped back at the last second but the omni-tool gouged a rough line across the grey armor.

Still not uttering a word, the smiling Rukin now took on the role of the offensive, performing a complex set of whirls and jabs with his blade that made Shepard stumble back. The attacks were so quick that even Shepard was having a tough time parrying each blow, not having enough time to riposte.

The flat end of the sword smashed across Shepard's face during one attack, meant as an insulting impact. Shepard's combat software now popped up in his vision, having analyzed Rukin's pattern of attack. He was using a revised style of the Japanese sword art known as _kendo_. It was composed of using a combination of strikes and thrusts, a feat which required enormous stamina. The brief description in the popup described Rukin's attributes perfectly, the man hadn't even broken into a sweat yet. Shepard couldn't tire, but he couldn't stay on the defensive forever.

In the middle of one nasty clash, Shepard roared and pushed back with all of his might, sending Rukin leaping backwards. His shoulder was sluggish and Rukin was smiling. This had to end soon. He had to end it here.

Kendo's one weakness was that it left the attacker prone to close-range attacks, inside the stance of an enemy, so Shepard started forward with his sword raised, ready for a diagonal strike. Rukin stayed where he was, already anticipating the trajectory of the attack. But Shepard wanted to shake things up a bit. He stutter-stepped to the left as he now lowered his arm, Rukin adjusting as well. As he brought his arm up to connect both swords together, he quickly deactivated his blade and Rukin's attack sailed on past empty air, nothing to stop its momentum any more.

Rukin's mouth opened in shock as he realized what happened but it was too late. Shepard leaped on his right foot mere inches from Rukin as he twirled in mid-air, reactivating his omni-sword. At the terminus of his leap, he swiped his arm down, blade biting into Rukin's back, severing the spinal cord and sending blood flying. Rukin merely grunted in pain, eyes astonished at the fact that he had been beaten. He tried to take a step to turn him around, to look at the victor and acknowledge his defeat, body miraculously upright despite the devastating damage.

Having none of it, Shepard walked forward and grabbed Rukin by the neck. Ignoring the man's sputtering protests, he dragged him across the ground, feet scraping, as he approached the edge of the platform. Realizing what was about to happen, Rukin started to scream before Shepard threw his hand out and let go. As Rukin plummeted down off the platform into the bottomless pit below, Shepard could only watch the man's horrified expression as he fell, mouth open as his eyes were wide. He seemed to travel in slow-motion, reaching out fruitlessly for any grip that could interrupt his descent. But there was none to be had.

Shepard continued to watch until the darkness swallowed the tiny form of Rukin. He slowly blinked in relief as the finality of his battle weighed upon him. Gingerly, he staggered away from the edge of the landing platform, ignoring the hails from Garrus as he worriedly tried to contact his commander. Shepard limped over to the shuttle and flexed his hands, for once appreciating the craftsmanship and dexterity on how his limbs functioned. If he could smile, he would have until his grin burst from the effort. It was no normal life, but he was headed in the right direction.

"It was all worth it," he sighed to the empty air, taking solace in the stillness before finally acknowledging the turian on the other end.

"Objective complete."


	10. Epilogue: Until Next Time (Part I End)

Shepard carefully tightened the gloves around his hands as he walked down the hallway. His pace was fast, determined and eager to leave this place. He took a quick moment to scan around the corners for any person, human or quarian, before briskly headed toward the docking tubes.

The black armor that he'd stolen from the shuttle was a tight fit, hastily appropriated, but it was necessary at the moment. He knew that the sight of his form was somewhat of an acquired taste, something the quarians had yet to add to their palette, from all of their experience with rogue, hostile synthetics.

His omni-tool pinged. It was a message from Garrus, apparently the ship was all warmed up and they could leave on a moment's notice. Good thing too, all of the Cerberus troops had beat a hasty retreat after their defeat not half an hour ago. They were in the clear as far as they were concerned.

But something still plagued Shepard. After his fight with Rukin, he had abruptly left the scene, mostly in search of a new covering, but there was something else in his reasoning. He kept on telling himself that he was just avoiding the riff-raff, dodging the thousands of questions that would arise when the quarians would want to know who was responsible for pushing the invaders away, trying to keep his name down low.

That wasn't the real reason for his departure and he knew it. He still was unwilling to back there and face her, after what he did…what he said-

"Shepard! _Wait_!"

_How the hell did she-_

He stopped dead in his tracks, huffing at the fact that he could see the docking tube mere meters away. So close and yet so far. Shepard's back was to her and he slumped in response.

"Hello…_Tali_."

Slowly turning around, he didn't even want to know how she managed to procure a new visor on such short notice (universal design, perhaps, with a lot of spares). His gaze was transfixed by sadness behind his helmet, not that she would ever know. Perhaps she now realized how difficult it was to perceive emotions behind a mask. But why would he be so insensitive as to make that comparison out loud?

Instead he shook his head, "You should be resting, Tali. You need to recover."

"That can wait," she said crossly, "How come you're leaving already?"

"Tali," he raised a hand to his chest in defense, "I didn't want to, but it's something I have to do. It's…complicated…"

"'_Complicated_?' That's the biggest understatement I've ever heard! Keelah, Shepard…I thought…I thought you had _died_ and now you come back and won't even acknowledge me anymore?" She stepped forward towards him, "You didn't think to explain your situation to me? I would have understood if…if you had sent a message…"

Shepard winced, "Tali, I know I handled this poorly, but I didn't want you to know…about _this_."

"You lied to my face and then scared me half to death, I'm not sure how I should feel when the-" she paused for a quick second, "When the man I _respected_ would have tried to-"

"_I didn't want to hurt you, Tali!_" Shepard roared, making her jump back a little in fright. Growling, Shepard now reached up and grasped at his helmet, yanking it off his head and exposing the metallic surface for all to see. "Look at me, Tali. _Look at me!_ Did you not think I would remember all of those conversations we had on the Normandy? On how your people view synthetics? I've seen you in that position on missions before, Tali. I've seen you lay mercilessly into a geth platoon and all the while you curse at them with the hatred of a thousand souls. You want to know why I hid myself from you? Because I was afraid! I was afraid of losing a friend, of that person never looking back on my memory again! I was afraid of you seeing what I'd become! I…I didn't want to _hurt_ you, Tali…"

His voice trailed away as he suddenly sunk to his knees in the middle of the hallway. He'd given up trying to speak, words were useless at this point. What was even the reason for trying to convince her otherwise? The silence was maddening as neither one of them spoke for what seemed an eternity. Shepard closed his eyes, willing for tears somehow to produce and fall forth, perhaps showing her the sincerity of his words. Damn this body.

A soft clattering broke him out of his misfortune as a thin form hesitatingly wrapped itself around him. He blinked in confusion before he realized that Tali was hugging him, a gentle embrace that brought fire into his heart. Shepard started and frantically think of an explanation that warranted this behavior. Where had this come from?

"Tali…" he finally managed, "W-…what?"

She gently laid a hand over his artificial cheek, drawing all of his attention toward her as she leaned back from her hug, "You're _alive_, Shepard…you're _alive_…"

Shepard was still flabbergasted, "I…no…._what_?"

Tali was now holding the cyborg tightly as she brought herself closer for another hug. This was completely unexpected as the quarian gave no explanation for her breach in character.

"Do…do you know how much I've _dreamed_ this would come true? That you would somehow burst into my life again like you did on the Citadel and rescue me from my dull life?

Shepard slowly pried her off her body as she seemed to bounce in place, "I know how much this means to you, Tali…" His somber voice suddenly turned light as he laughed, "Although, I do regret that I was unable to show off my good looks in the process."

Now it was Tali's turn to giggle, "You _bosh'tet_." She squinted her eyes behind her mask, "You do look rather…um…bad, to tell the truth. But you are aware that they can simply grow you a new skin? Shouldn't the Alliance have-"

"I am and they do," Shepard interrupted, "That actually brings me to my next point." Tali listened intently as Shepard continued, "It's taken the past few weeks for me to actually open my eyes again. I thought that the galaxy had abandoned me, that I wasn't needed anymore. Now I look at this, all of this destruction, putting my friends in jeopardy, and I'm back doing the same old thing again."

"You couldn't have possibly thought that true, Shepard!" Tali practically yelled, "You're more important than you ever could know, what you've done _saved_ the galaxy. They would never abandon you!"

"I know that now, Tali," Shepard said sadly, "I was a fool to think that I was being disregarded when I should have realized that everyone simply moved on. I actually _was_ dead, for all intents and purposes. It was a natural reaction that people had to my passing and I completely didn't see it."

"But…what will you do now?"

Shepard tilted his head down, "Now? If the galaxy needs me again then I'll gladly welcome my old life once more. I think I'll head back to the Citadel and reunite with some more friends, they can help me piece myself back together."

"How will you convince them that it's actually you?"

"I convinced _you_, didn't I?" An unseen smile crept into her features at that.

"Can…" she said haltingly, "Can I go with you?"

Shepard took a moment to seriously consider her question but she took his silence as an excuse to keep going, "I mean…if you want me with you of course. I only…there is…I…I…"

He carefully laid both hands on her shoulders, squeezing the soft material in his cold hands. She stopped stammering from his grip and looked up at him so the both of them could see the truth in each other's eyes.

"Tali," he began, "I would like nothing more than for you to come along with me. You've been a good friend to me and I really care about you." He breathed in before continuing, "But do you really think that it's a good idea for you to leave? I mean is that your ship just got attacked, your father killed, and you just want to take off? Isn't there anything that you'd want to take care of before you would want to commit to something like this?"

"I…I…" she attempted to protest some more before she slumped in his grip, "You're right, Shepard. You're completely right. I just got so caught up in the moment…seeing you _alive_…that I just wanted to pick up things where we left off. I mean, where we were –in the beginning - that is…"

Shepard chuckled as he slowly brought the quarian in for a hug, as the initiator this time, "Tali, don't think of it as me pushing you away. You'd do far more good here than where I'm going. Trust me, you'll be bored within ten minutes while I probably undergo questioning for a week at the Citadel. But hey, who knows? When I'm finally fixed and I get back to where I am, I'll come looking for you. _That_ I promise."

Tali hopped giddily and Shepard tilted his head in mock thought, "Or I can just find you regardless of my status in the Alliance. I want my old crew back with me, Tali. I want my old life back. Do you believe me when I say that?"

"_Of course I do_," Tali breathed in earnest, activating her omni-tool simultaneously. Shepard's own tool now blinked and he opened it. He saw that Tali had added her contact information to his registry and arced his eyebrows in surprise. The quarian nodded in satisfaction, "But this way, you won't have to find me."

"That will make things easier."

"That's the point," she replied before giving the cyborg one last hug, "Keelah, I will be glad to see your normal face again. You'll talk to me often about your progress, won't you?"

"I'll have nothing but time. You can count on me." Shepard patted the quarian on the arm before turning around and scraping his heels across the dull brown metal floor, completing his initial trek to the docking tube. He didn't bother to pick up the helmet that he had carelessly flung away; it lay on its side, empty and alone.

"Don't take too long, Shepard," Tali called, "My life gets rather dull without you around, to be honest."

Shepard gave an exaggerated shrug, "I'll work on that, Miss vas Rayya."

"I'd rather be Miss vas _Normandy_, Shepard."

A laugh escaped his ruined throat, "I would prefer that too. But please, Tali, we've known each other long enough that calling me by my last name just seems improper now."

"B-But," she said, confused, "Everyone's always called you that before…or do you prefer 'Commander' now?"

"You don't have to use either, you can call me _John_."

Before she could reply back to him, the airlock door to the craft clashed together between them, causing her to jump. The last glimpse she saw of him was a posture of determination with a steely-eyed glare that spoke volumes to her. She knew that every word out of his mouth in the last fifteen minutes was nothing but the truth. She stood facing the closed door for a long time, even after the craft had departed the company of the fleet.

_I've never heard anyone call him John before._

She brought a hand to her voice modulator as she supported her own head as she replayed their conversation back in her head, trying to decipher the man's motivations. But, just like the man she knew, his intentions were always too nebulous for her to determine by herself. She was probably overthinking this situation, letting hope override any rational thinking.

But wasn't it rational to hope anyway?

"_John_," she repeated the name as she let the foreign syllable escape her mouth, reverberating in the confines of her helmet, where the noise stayed. The feeling made Tali smile broadly. She tapped a staccato against the floor as she fought the urge to jump for joy in the middle of the hallway.

Tears came to her eyes as she started to laugh.

* * *

The cigarette smoke wafted in the air, forming spirals in the stillness. The warm glow of the dying star cast long shadows across the few objects in the room, but they went unseen due to the dark color of the polished tile.

Holographic displays lined around the chair, each exhibiting a different aspect of operations across the galaxy. The man in the chair smiled before taking another huff of the carcinogenic substance. Such items and eccentricities had long fallen out of favor with the human population but it was no small matter to clone a lung and perform a transplant these days. It was only a matter of money at this point, an aspect that mattered little to him.

The Illusive Man basked in the endless stream of data, taking comfort in his quiet little corner before one of the screens started to blink. His eyebrows shot up in anticipation. Someone was hailing him. Someone from the Far Rim.

Eager, but restrained, he activated the link between the caller, straightening in his chair a bit to clear his voice, "Henry? What have you to report?"

"It's not Rukin," a voice that was much deeper than anticipated gritted through, "It's Leng."

The Illusive Man edged forward in his seat, frowning, "Leng? What happened? Where's Rukin?"

There was a very noticeable pause on the other line, "Colonel Rukin is dead. We…failed, sir. We were unable to apprehend Shepard."

This was unexpected, "_What_! How is Rukin dead?"

"Apparently Shepard bested him in a fight. He tried to take the machine alive but was thwarted."

"I gave you a fleet of twenty ships and a capable commander! How is it that you were unable to capture him?"

"He had backup," Leng defended, "To Rukin's credit, he was a very accomplished strategist but Shepard and his cohorts managed to break every maneuver thrown their way. They defeated our entire invading personnel; we had no choice but to retreat."

"You're telling me that an entire legion of soldiers did not even come close to even killing him? One mentally scarred machine?"

"I told you, he had help!" Leng was now starting to sound desperate in response to his employer's ire, "There were reports of the turian and the quarian bitch that were once part of his squad-"

The Illusive Man pondered in thought. "Vakarian and Zorah…" he mused.

"Yes, them. The bitch blinded me when I was distracted. It was a mistake that I don't intend to make again."

The Illusive Man somehow found the ability to laugh, "A quarian managed to incapacitate one of my best operatives? You are correct in saying that you will never make that mistake again. You'll be lucky if you will even have the opportunity to make any mistakes from here on out if I don't have you executed for incompetence!"

"Please, sir! I was overwhelmed, I _had_ Shepard right in front of me…I could not have known-"

"Spare me the prattle, Leng," the Illusive Man sighed, "You're just begging for an excuse for me to get you out from over the chopping block. And also, undoubtedly, to get you a new pair of eyes in the process, eyes that _you lost _by the way, so that you can get to your full strength again. Convince me, Leng. Why should I do this for you, to continue to invest in you, when you have failed me in this critically important assignment?"

The man on the other end paused for a moment before muttering softly, "Because I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't nimble enough and I wasn't smart enough. I was overconfident, cocky, and underestimated the strength of our enemies."

This was most certainly unexpected. The Illusive Man had never once before heard Leng admit to any faults in his methodology before. He rarely failed an assignment and was usually good enough at bullshitting to wriggle his way out of a tight spot from his disdain. Now that Leng was backed into a corner, there was nowhere to go except to swallow his pride.

He decided to be magnanimous and not rub it in the man's face too much, "It takes a certain quality to own up to one's mistakes, Leng. I'm just surprised that I would get to perceive this quality so soon. But put yourself in my position, if you were to be given a second chance, what would you have me do to feel assured that you're up for any task I designate?"

"Not just for capturing Shepard?"

"Shepard is a lost cause now. I don't think we will be able to have another opportunity now to recapture him now that he will be on his guard. He is more of a liability now than an actual asset to our cause. Instead of entertaining that _idea_, we shall focus more on what to do with the matter of these missing colonists. The Council still has not done anything about them and we have a duty to protect our human investments."

Leng was furious, "You would have me babysitting _colonists_?"

The cigarette was back in his mouth, "You're missing the point. Shepard will be bound to take notice sooner or later of this plight and our paths will eventually collide. If the opportunity presents itself for Shepard to be captured or killed, then take it, but what we need to do is to analyze this escalating situation and develop our own conclusions before he does." The Illusive Man waved a hand, the gesture unseen to the other man, "However, Shepard is notorious for being resourceful in a pinch. You would have to be prepared for the inevitable encounter with him. I don't care if you kill him or bring him in alive, I just want him to be neutralized as quickly as possible. Now, if you please, Leng, answer the question. What can I do to make sure that you succeed?"

There was nothing but static for a good ten seconds before Leng's voice mustered through, "I will need access to the advanced stock in the armory."

"Done."

"I will need dossiers on a capable crew."

"Anything else?"

"I will need a ship."

"You have twenty already Leng. What possible good could one more ship do if you have not been able to accomplish anything with _twenty_?"

"Screw the twenty, I just need the _one_."

The Illusive Man already had an answer to Leng's request, but he still sat back and delayed his response. Leng was loyal to a fault and would most likely be driven by revenge. Personal motivations were a good cause but they tended to deteriorate fast. The thought of Leng blindly pushing aside logic and reasoning in favor of his quest to satiate his bloodlust was a very real danger. Hell, _Rukin_ would have been a better investment at this point, but the man was dead and in a body bag at this point. There was no one else who possessed the steel in their mind and the ferocity to take on such a wild beast.

It would take one to know one, after all.

"All right, Leng," the Illusive Man sighed, "_If_ you submit to me by the end of the week your detailed plan of action and _if_ I approve it, I will give you the coordinates to the drydock. I don't want any more unfortunate encounters like this pathetic debacle. Don't even think about reporting to me unless you have absolute good news regarding your mission at hand. If he's still out there, then you are not finished. Are we clear?"

"Understood, sir. You will get your details tomorrow. Just tell me where to go."

* * *

**To be continued in Part 2: Flesh**


	11. Author's Notes: Metal

**(As always, before you leave, please post a review to see how I'm doing and what I could make better!)**

I must say, it was quite a surprise on my end to be up and running on another story so soon after the last one. Even though my pace writing this first installment of a new series was somewhat tempered by my work habits (and partial distraction from Watch Dogs and what not…) I think that I managed to get a good start on this next project.

I eventually decided to just lump all of the parts of the _Rage Inherent_ series into just one big story but have them separated and treat the whole thing as a collection of sorts. Maybe then I'll finally get my six figure story… (Now I'll have to tweak the title, tags, and synopsis…joy…)

For those of you unfamiliar with my methodology (and clunky writing…to which I thank you for sticking through) I usually take the time after I finish a story to go back and reflect on it and explain my reasoning behind my decisions and what I favored. I also like to take the opportunity to point out scenes where I think a rousing orchestral score would suffice as I like to approach my ideas with a cinematic flair. Listening to music usually gives me the motivation to churn out a chapter.

The initial idea for this actually came to me a few years ago, when I didn't have the motivation to write anything. Once I had started, I wanted to see how the concept of Shepard being a robot would actually pan out. Actually, my first draft was to have someone else as a cyborg character, not Shepard. But ever since I got all OC'd out on the first trilogy I wrote, I realized that I had had enough writing those types of characters. So I rewrote the part for Shepard and tweaked the script somewhat to reflect his mannerisms.

I was going to originally call this story _Blood and Metal_ but I thought that it seemed a bit too…cliché. I mean, it sounded mean and intense but it was just so _uninspired_. Just a little trivia there for you.

* * *

**Prologue:**

I wanted to keep this story relatively grounded in Mass Effect's established universe so I think it worked to my favor when the option to romance Tali came into play in the second game (yes…this will eventually get to be a Tali romance…that wasn't obvious?) which warranted me starting at the beginning of ME2. There were some tweaks here and there but mostly it was scripted exactly the same.

One thing of which I'll try to do in the future is to subtly adjust each line of dialogue that is in the games so the reader has a different experience through it all. I'm not trying to make this a novelization and this will give me some fun in trying to see if I can pick better lines for the characters to say (fat chance there, mate!)

Playlist:

Normandy Lost: "Gravity" by Kazuma Jinnouchi from the VG _Halo 4_. I'm trying to go for an orchestral sound accompanied by harsh electronics to sell the idea of a space opera. There's no wonderment here and this first installment will be defined by a driving force rather than majesty.

Titles: "Godzilla!" by Alexandre Desplat from the film _Godzilla_. Case in point, the ferocity of this cue is exactly the type of tone that personifies Shepard very well here.

**Chapter 1:**

Yep…this is where I knew I was going to lose a significant reader base.

You can chalk up my decision of killing off Miranda and Jacob in this chapter to be just general disinterest. I doubt anyone would complain about the latter but there are a horde of rabid Miranda fans out there that would certainly like to flay me alive for what I did for her. I'm sorry, but I never liked her as a character. She served her purpose in the games but was merely just a sex object in my eyes. Thank you, but no. Her death did serve a large purpose in that it helped in distancing this story from the games in that it told the readers that all bets were off and that anything could happen.

In regards to Shepard being in a cybernetic body, I did receive a bunch of warm support for the concept so that means I must have done something right. However, in future installments I believe I'm going to downplay that aspect a little because I can only do so much describing that I'll start to repeat myself if I try for more development. It will still be a major theme, it just won't be brought up as much. One can only tolerate so much self-loathing…

I put the mock dedication at the end of this chapter as both a reminder and a warning. The unfortunate critic did everything wrong with how the review system works in this regard. Not only did he not offer any constructive criticism to how I could correct anything, he was also quite rude and used rather abrasive language to accentuate his displeasure. Those traits are not endearing to anyone on this site and people like those only draw out the mocking edge in me. (Especially since that young man's writing style was absolutely atrocious…in _my_ opinion, not that it matters much)

Playlist:

Oh, You're Awake: "Philadelphia" by Marco Beltrami from the movie _World War Z_. I'm deliberately avoiding thematic constructs in favor of a texture-based approach. Just gathering up more fuel to feed the fire.

Biotic Impulse: "Silhouette" by Thomas Newman from the film _Skyfall_. Percussion to underline the fight between Shepard and Miranda.

**Chapter 2:**

I believe some of my major problems in this story come from my use of dialogue. In intense scenes like this, I find it all to be a bit clunky and will be targeted immensely once I go back and apply corrections. They work adequately as is but they could be much better.

The introduction of Rukin as a major character was my only OC contribution to this as I wanted to focus on a new villain rather than established ones. There was an overall purpose to Rukin being in this story but I'm not sure how much I gave away with his placement in the story (spoiler alert!) As to his development, I don't think I completely dropped the ball on his character but…(there's always a but) he was maybe a little boring. I don't know, I could be too harsh on myself but then again, no one has called me out on that aspect yet…

Playlist:

Hello There: "Alert Theme" by Harry Gregson-Williams and Ludvig Forssell from the VG _Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes._ Electronic rhythms for a smooth approach to action.

**Chapter 3:**

As a transitional chapter, I don't really have many qualms about this one because it actually followed my initial draft scene for scene. Hero goes to Aria, Tali talks to her deadbeat dad, and Cerberus continues plotting.

My reasoning for positioning the POV on Cerberus in these scenes were to introduce the characters and the actual plan of attack on the _Rayya_. I didn't want that scene to just jump out at the reader so I had to introduce the game plan naturally as it came up in conversation. It helps with the transition and makes things less abrupt so that was completely unavoidable from my stance.

**Chapter 4:**

Interestingly, I never intended for Garrus to play such a pronounced role in this story until a couple chapters in. It soon occurred to me that he's such an indispensable character that I can't just tease him for a single chapter and then just walk away. It would make more sense for the loyal turian to follow his friend anywhere he goes and so I wrote him in just like that.

I guess the saying is true: "There's no Shepard without Vakarian."

But having Garrus there also helped me with a solution to a problem. Shepard would naturally continue to have these rebellious thoughts in his head about his career goals and refusal to help the galaxy based on his skewed perceptions unless he had a voice of reason there to calm him. Joker would never be that person as it is not in his character to have a deep conversation like that. Garrus was Shepard's best friend so the role of existential conversationalist passed to him. Because Garrus hadn't found his jaded side of war yet through the betrayal and execution of his team, he still clings to the teachings that Shepard guided him on in the past game. This is why his role in playing the teacher now seems like a natural evolution and a more mature aspect to his character as a whole.

Playlist:

Rumble at the Docks: "Leaving the Safe House" by Marco Beltrami from the film _A Good Day to Die Hard_.

**Chapter 5:**

Portraying Shepard's demonic side was rather fun to write, despite the fact that it was done rather sparingly. There is a dark side to this part, the fact that the character has now essentially become an unstoppable killing machine, there's no real tension. I would throw in a few twists to help with that part (and will address that in later installments) but a few developmental scenes with his invulnerability work fine.

The torture scene might have veered a little on the exploitational side but there was a method to my madness. If you consider the fact that no large organization is never steadfast in its beliefs, then it's perfectly reasonable to assume that some members may exhibit some hypocritical tendencies that could be open for interpretation. Disregarding my pitiful excuse, the chilling act that preceded the torture entirely was a good catalyst to awaken Shepard's bloodlust and merciless attack on the one soldier. It had to be toned down in the end because some of the scenes got exceedingly violent to the point where it was just not gratifying anymore. Even _I_ have limits, people.

Playlist:

Knock, Knock: "Lemurian Star" by Henry Jackman from the film _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_

Interrogation: "The March" by Junkie XL from the film _Divergence_. I chose this piece for the torture scene because of its eeriness and savage intensity to accompany Shepard's churning emotions that were boiling over.

**Chapter 6:**

It was the right time to have a Tali-centered chapter in this story and showing her reactions during the initial invasion of the _Rayya_ was a good place to start. By focusing on her in small portions earlier, her character was not forced upon the audience suddenly and uncomfortably. We also got to see her act in a battle situation and not cower in the corner.

If you consider the fact that Rael'Zorah died in a situation that was unlike Tali's loyalty mission in ME2, then you'd think that this would have repercussions on the plot, hmm? (Then again, I know how the story ends and you don't.)

Playlist:

Engine Room: "The Hunt" by John Williams from the film _The Lost World: Jurassic Park_. Drums and primal percussion may give the stereotypical edge but it still sounds cool.

Back to the Bridge (Tali's Theme): "Red Warrior" by Hans Zimmer from the film _The Last Samurai_. Despite it being a well-known theme, I think it works well when you combine it with Tali as a sort of longing, romantic theme.

**Chapter 7:**

I really do like writing combat but it sometimes gets a bit tedious. I have to constantly fight and revise my work as I have a horrible tendency to repeat myself (again, not that good of a writer).

I had built up to the Rosun fight so that Shepard would have a reason to show off his synthetic body to Tali by clashing in the incinerator. That was always going to happen and I think my reasoning worked rather well.

Playlist:

Veritas Unloaded: "Taking a Stand" by Henry Jackman from the film _Captain America: The Winter Soldier_. Shepard gets a more heroic presence as his goals get a little more chivalrous by doing what else? Killing Cerberus troops.

Inferno (Shepard's Theme): "Escape Theme" by Harry Gregson-Williams and Ludvig Forssell from the VG _Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes_. A particularly good track to accompany the fight with Rosun.

**Chapter 8:**

I love the intensity that the first scene offers. I like the fact that Shepard's plan to keep Tali in the dark has completely gone out the window and that he has to finally admit to her the truth in a heated scenario because he could no longer hold himself back at that point. It also gave Tali the courage to help out her commander in that one critical moment, sacrificing her life for his (even though she would survive).

(I did try my damndest to have the scene after Tali's visor gets shattered where Shepard goes berserk to have it seem to be in slow-motion, taking inspiration from action movies, no less).

I saved the best fight scene for last with Rukin emerging as a formidable opponent for Shepard. Sword fights, as I have stated previously, are my favorite and I will put them in a story any way I can. In trying not to be cliché, I did implement some unconventional techniques so that it could heighten the dramatic and vivid nature of the fight itself.

Playlist:

I Am Shepard: "Yoda Strikes Back" by John Williams from the film _Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones_. The brass swell I think resonates perfectly with the action that both Tali and Shepard go through when both of them are captured and fight their way out.

Rukin Meets Shepard: "Watch the World Burn" by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard from the film _The Dark Knight._

Clash of Swords: "Tornado" by Hans Zimmer from the film Man of Steel.

**Epilogue:**

You now have your setup for the next installment. Any guesses on where it might lead?

Playlist:

Closing: "Staff Roll" by Jamie Christopherson from the VG _Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance_

* * *

In all honesty, my initial plan was to only write two of these stories pertaining to the situation at hand. The reasoning behind that was because I didn't want to rewrite the ending to ME3 as I had already done that in a previous story. I was hesitant about tackling ME3 as a whole because I didn't know if I could top the ending that I had written for _Peroration_.

Fortunately, during the production of _Metal_, I did eventually come up with an ending that I believe to be perfect in tone with this series that doesn't overlap with my previous works in any way. Rather than rewrite it, I've decided to sidestep the issue entirely. What that means is that this whole series will have a cohesive flow to it that will be concluded in a natural manner that will strive to bring satisfaction to the readers.

Everything has been outlined (a requirement before I even started this one) and there is no reason why I should stop now. There will be several twists to this story but nothing that would be considered lore-breaking. The ability to alter aspects of the ME universe in a believable way is what gives it quite the appeal for FF writers because they have so many possibly avenues that they can pursue with their work. They can practically write anything thanks to the customizable nature of the characters and setting. I aim to have the _Rage Inherent_ series be my departing piece before I place myself on hiatus due to a lack of further ideas (and to the fact that I will most certainly be burned out after writing this damn thing, which is a tad more than a quarter done, by my calculations). With this done, there is little more I can come up with but don't assume that I'll be gone for good.

Who knows, with ME4 on the way _that_ opens up a wealth of new ideas. You might just see me return then.

Please keep reading and reviewing and I'll be back in a few days when I start writing the next part, _Flesh_!


	12. Prologue: Rude Welcome (Part II Start)

_**A/R: After my few days of rest, I'm back working on this next installment for this series.**_

_**Are you ready?**_

* * *

"_If humanity has proven time and again that they can always exceed their grasp, then who's to say we can't go further?"_

-Cerberus Manifesto

* * *

The thick cloud of gas and dust was always deemed as the Citadel's most important defense. Blue-tinted, it is lit not from a white dwarf in its depths, but from the very station that it conceals.

Open travel directly to the station is not an option due to the frequent electrical discharges that are typical of nebulae. Discharges like these are severely damaging to the metal-framed ships that seek asylum because kinetic barriers are unable to block that type of assault. The only way to access the huge, five-pronged station is through the dozens of mass relays that surround it in the open areas.

Oddly enough, it had been previously determined, before the humans had traversed beyond their own borders, that the entire Serpent Nebula was self-replenishing. Not much is known how the nebula maintains its current mass but the most popular theory between the scientific community is that the keepers break down all of the collected waste to the atomic level before it gets spaced, sending new material out into the abyss.

Almost 45 kilometers long, the Citadel is considered the most impressive marvel of engineering in the entire galaxy. Believed to have built by their cosmic predecessors, the Protheans, historians could only speculate to the fact at what its general purpose was, other than it was designed to be used as some form to house their entire government.

If that was the case, then they would have been proud at what their successors had in mind when they commandeered the station millennia ago. The Citadel today was the embodiment of the Council, a group of representatives from the most powerful races in the galaxy: asari, salarian, turian, and most recently, human.

Obtaining a seat on the Council is not considered an easy task. There have been several races that were all vouching for representation before humans even arrived on the scene. However, the forceful nature of humanity paid off in their defense of the Citadel fifteen months ago, when the lone Reaper, Sovereign, attempted to signal its brethren towards the galaxy and start the cycle of death and destruction anew before it was destroyed by the humans in a desperate battle to save the galaxy.

That very station was now the destination for the oddly shaped craft that had just materialized out of the relay near the far side of the safe zone. Engaging its sublight drive, it began the push through the thin cloud of particulates that covered the entire area. Maneuvering around one such puff, the Citadel suddenly burst into view as the bright light from its center momentarily blinded its occupants before they adjusted their eyes to the sight.

Working against the craft's favor was the fact that its designation and colors were deemed unsavory by Citadel control. This was an understandable outcome. If they had the time or the patience, the three of them would have waited to properly reregister the craft and possibly apply a fresh coat of paint to hide the despicable logo that was displayed on every conceivable aspect around the vessel.

It definitely would explain the fact that they were continuously getting bounced around between several different controllers. Many seemed to regard the craft with disgust once its specifications flashed across their desks. Getting onto the station was proving to be an arduous situation from the get-go.

Nothing to do at this point, except wait.

* * *

The whirring of servos was the only noise in the air apart from the blips coming from the cockpit as Joker grew increasingly impatient. Metal fingers flexed as the occupant in the copilot's chair folded his hands across his lap and waited for a change in their predicament, while the turian sitting behind them tapped out a complex rhythm with his foot against the floor.

The three of them made an odd group. The pilot, while normal looking by human standards, had a personality that could drive anyone absolutely insane with his bad jokes, an aftereffect of him obtaining the nickname "Joker."

The turian, Garrus Vakarian, was not unique looking but famous in his own right. In less than two years, he had gone from a lowly C-Sec cop working the beat to serving on the most advanced ship in the galaxy before splitting off to form a vigilante team on Omega. He was considered one of the most fiercest and cunning warriors on that bloodthirsty station, until he was upstaged only a few days ago by the arrival of a familiar face.

That honor would go to his old commander, John Shepard, the savior of the Citadel. His mentor, and close friend. Shepard had changed in the fifteen months since he was declared "dead" from a sudden attack in the Terminus. Rather than the stoic, human that Garrus had once known, he now was staring at a broken, angry shell of a man. A synthetic person, a cyborg.

But there was some hope to be had still, Garrus considered. At least Shepard was trying to mend himself. He still worried, though. Shepard had been quiet ever since they had left the _Rayya_, as if he had a lot on his mind. Garrus had tried to ask about a few specifics, but Shepard wouldn't even produce an audible answer. The turian had eventually given up with the questioning because the silence gave all the answers he needed.

Shepard sat determinedly, staring straight ahead towards the looming station from the viewports. He heard a controller begrudgingly give access in the background and he saw the craft bank towards its designated docking port. From the looks of things, they were headed towards the Presidium, near the center.

He wondered what would await him there. It had been a long time since he last returned to the Citadel, to the place where he had saved the Council after defeating Saren. Would they accept him as the people around him had done? Would they remember all that he sacrificed for them? These were questions that he could only resolve by going into this eyes wide open. But the closer he got, the more he felt that this was a bad idea.

He breathed in and out slowly, letting his lungs expand to whatever room his synthsac allowed. The clicking of metallic parts calmed him. It reminded him why he was here in the first place. He was Commander Shepard, to live like this was a fate that should not befall him, or any other man. He leaned forward in anticipation, conflicted at whatever the future had in store for him.

There was a slight _ping_ noise and Shepard looked down to see his omni-tool blink. He had just received a message. Curious, he activated it and his upper facial features rose in surprise at its contents.

_Shepard,_

_I hope this is the right address._

_I know that you said to call you John but it just seems so weird for me to do such a thing. I hope that you can forgive me. I realize it has been less than a day since we last saw each other but there are still a great many things I want to talk about. I mean, you being alive? Keelah, I can't even describe how happy I am right now. It really was very good to see you, despite your complications._

_Anyway, how are you doing? You did mention that you were going to the Citadel right after. Does this mean you're going to try and renew your Spectre status? I surely hope so, we need our Commander back. _

_Well, if it doesn't work out and you still want to go and make those Cerberus bosh'tets pay, I would assume that you would need an engineer for your travels._

_Please, please keep me updated on your progress and don't forget about me._

_-Tali_

Shepard warmed after reading over the message twice. He gave a quiet laugh, she managed to sound nervous even in her writing. That was truly a feat. He closed his eyes as he recalled seeing her last, the door closing between the both of them as they headed off in separate paths. They had promised to meet again but it was not looking to be anytime in the near future.

The truth was he didn't feel comfortable around Tali like this. It gave him great distress having witnessed her initial reaction be one of fright. What was she to see in this hunk of junk? Not Commander Shepard, that was for sure.

He brought up his messaging application to respond to her note but suddenly found himself at a loss at what to say. There was nothing to warrant an inclusion in whatever missive he had to send out at the moment. But there was no sense in making Tali worry. He hated it when she was upset and thought that a short message would alleviate her inner turmoil until he could get things sorted out. It was worth a shot. Fumbling fingers spent the next few minutes typing, going through several drafts before he settled on a maddeningly concise one.

_Tali,_

_Thank you for the note, it was great to hear from you._

_Have reached the Citadel right now. Am just moments away from boarding._

_Will contact you soon. And Tali, you don't have to call me John if you don't want to. I'm just saying that the option is open to you, should you feel comfortable enough._

_-John_

_P.S. I could never forget about you._

Shepard eyed it a couple times before sending it off. It didn't exactly betray any excess emotion from him, which was what he was going for, but to have such a verbose response did not seem to be the best option at this point. Perhaps when everything was back to normal would he start to adopt his old mannerisms again.

If it was even possible to get back to normal.

There was a rattle throughout the ship as the tube latched onto it. Nodding in satisfaction, all three of them stood up and walked over to the door. Having gone over the routine beforehand, both Shepard and Garrus unhooked all weapons on their person and locked them securely in their lockers before joining Joker over at the door. To have any visible guns on a Cerberus vessel would not endear them to C-Sec on the station. They needed to be as discreet as possible.

They stood in front of the closed door, waiting for Shepard to hit the release. He slumped in front of them, trying to grasp the ramifications of his actions, of what awaited them. Garrus gently put a hand on the cold metal shoulder as it somehow relaxed in his grip.

The grey and black skull turned towards the turian. "Thanks," came the familiar, distinct voice. Garrus knew that everything was going to turn out all right at that point.

Shepard reached towards the switch, thin fingers gently brushing the panel before the door slid open in front of them. Greeting them was a torrent of shouts and yells of _"Freeze!_" and "_Hands on your head!_" Complying, Shepard, Garrus, and Joker all slowly lowered themselves to their knees as they brought their hands up in the universal surrender position, flashlights passing over their faces.

C-Sec officers swarmed around them as they forced the trio onto their stomachs as the muzzle of rifles were rudely pressed against their backs. The _click_ of fastened cuffs came thrice before they were hauled to their feet. The pace of the officers was quick and a few times Joker stumbled as he tried to keep up. Shepard had to glance intimidatingly in the direction of the pilot's captors before they eased up a bit.

Soon, they were unceremoniously shoved into a cramped elevator and their escort pressed a button which sent them on their way.

Two minutes into the descent, Garrus glanced from Joker to Shepard before saying, deadpan, "Anyone want to talk about their people's history?"

* * *

**Part II: Flesh**

* * *

_**A/R 2: This portion will be a little more familiar to you guys than the last one. I will end it where ME2 ends so that I can start the final part on familiar ground.**_

_**However, this will be a little more abridged than some others out there. Many characters will not show up in favor of developing a smaller cast and several smaller missions will be glossed over entirely. Just a heads up. But I will endeavor to make it as dramatic as possible (within my severely limited writing ability, of course).**_

_**Let me know what works and what flops.**_

_**Shall we continue?**_


	13. Chapter 1: Reintroductions to be Made

The sharp clack of polished shoes on the smooth tile was enough to make anyone lining the hallway stop and stare momentarily. The two of them proceeded rapidly towards their destination, barely pausing to return nods of courtesy or the occasional salute from anyone who was military.

Right now, such trivialities were secondary as they approached the infamous interrogation wing of C-Sec. Their man lay in one of the rooms lining this stark expanse, containing the answers to the thousands of questions burning in their brains.

A door on the left opened and a human male stepped out, clad in the uniform of a C-Sec officer. "Admiral, Councilor," he began to the two, "I'm Captain Bailey, thank you for coming on such short notice."

The captain held out his hand to the closest one who promptly shook it and moved on to the next, sensing the urgency in their grip. Without needing a prompt, the captain beckoned for them to follow as they proceeded into the observation room.

"Did you have any trouble with the Council, sir?" Bailey asked over his shoulder, "We only sent you the request our 'guest' made not half an hour ago and you were scheduled to be in a meeting for a few more hours."

"The Council didn't need my input at the moment," David Anderson said, "I just had to know for myself what it is we're dealing with."

Bailey shrugged, "If it's not too personal, sir, that's something I'd like to know as well."

Now the second man stepped forward, "How long has he been here?"

"Xelvin says at least five hours, according to the timetable he presented."

"Five hours?" Admiral Hackett repeated, "We weren't notified until just now, when he was already on the station for five hours?"

"Actually, sir, we only notified you when he asked for the both of you. Specifically."

Anderson and Hackett looked at each other and shared a frown before they maneuvered themselves into the cramped room. They spend a couple seconds trying to adjust their positions so they could see exactly what was going on in the room beyond. The one-way mirror prevented their subject from gazing back at them but it provided an unobstructed view on whatever was sitting in the chair at the moment, cuffed to the table.

"Good god," Anderson breathed.

Hackett stroked his goatee in thought and squinted his eyes, "And…he claims to be Shepard?"

A man sitting in front of the desk wheeled around in his chair. The pair could see that the man was a registered Alliance psychiatrist by the name of Benz, according to his name tag.

"As far as I could tell, admiral," Benz said nervously, "Since arriving on the Citadel, he had claimed numerous times that he in fact was Commander John Shepard of the Alliance. A fact that had us puzzled, to be honest."

"No need for the speculation," Anderson assured, "We are all equally puzzled by what…_he_…has to say."

Everyone in the room now glanced at what the cyborg was currently doing. It was still sitting in the same pose when they had entered, not moving an inch or so much as twitch in their direction. The dull orange of its eyes glinted with malice and the skeletal construction set them all on edge as they merely gazed upon it, upon _him_.

Hackett turned to Benz, "The report mentioned that he wasn't alone. Who…?"

"Ah, yes," Benz adjusted some records on his omni-tool, "We moved them both into the same room as they were deemed less of a threat than this one here. And…also because the entire wing is overcrowded as it is, so we had to make do. One 'Moreau' and one 'Vakarian.' Human and turian. They seemed to have taken to their companion quite well, considering."

"That's no surprise," Anderson mused, "They were members of Shepard's original crew. How have they been treated?"

"They seemed fine, both physically and mentally. A little irked at the fact that they have been waiting but that's been the normal reaction from anyone who has spent time here." The man chuckled a little before continuing, "But I wasn't aware of the fact that both had known Shepard previously. You'd think the file would have included that."

"Moreau's assignment was for a classified mission and obtaining a record of his involvement would have been far above your pay grade. As far as Vakarian goes, he was the product of a rather impromptu on-site recruitment by the commander. You'd only obtain a record of his involvement through news updates from around the time frame of the Battle of the Citadel."

"Well, had I known that, I would have included questions pertaining to that subject in my initial analysis."

"You talked to him?" Hackett interrupted.

"Uh, _briefly_. I only managed to get so far until he became uncooperative with me and repeatedly stated that he would only speak to you two or anyone he was traveling with."

"Which is why you sent out the request in the first place…" the admiral realized, "You didn't get anywhere in those five hours, did you?"

"Not in the slightest," a thin man in the corner replied. "At least, if you're talking about how the verbal questioning went."

Anderson scooted over, "I'm sorry, mister…?"

"Isaacson, sir," the man offered a hand, "_Doctor_ Isaacson. I'm up with the NTech development unit at the requisitions posting."

"Permanent station?"

"Temporary. Been on the list for rotation until I was hailed. Brought my tech team over and everything."

Anderson cocked an eyebrow, "I must have missed something. Tech team? What exactly did you do?"

Isaacson smiled, "Nothing that our good friend in the other room didn't notice. We set up heavy duty scanners to give ourselves a better look at his inner workings."

"And?"

The doctor spread his hands, "And what I have to say is that _he_ is the most complex piece of machinery I've ever come across. He's a modern engineering marvel."

Hackett stepped into view for the man, "What did you find out?"

"I'll get to it, then. Long-range scans have been able to identify a set of organs encased within the chest area of his chassis, enveloped in a synthetic skin sac, a synthsac."

"I've heard of the technology," Hackett mused. "Synthetic organ protection is a common fix for soldiers who have been gravely wounded in battle. I would guess with a design like this the sac is wholly necessary?"

"I don't see what other viable option anyone would have at this point," Isaacson pushed his glasses up his head as he drew his research from memory. "Synthsacs perfectly emulate the texture and consistency of all the layers of fat and muscle in the body. They can be molded to a specific body cavity in order to have the organs remain in the perfect orientation. That means that the actual material of the synthsac is made with a combination of plastarch, PBI, and Nomex for added firmness, with the side effect of making the organs completely and totally fireproof. Scorch marks on his chassis seems to indicate that he already put that design feature to good use, although I'm not sure if...uh, _he_ was aware of it. But in this particular case, that synthsac has been engineered to encase the digestive tract, heart, lungs, and a few other accessory organs of the host."

"Digestive tract? You mean he still eats?"

"Probably not in the way that you or I would figure. His metabolism has been slowed down due to the reduction in actual body mass. He could live off of a simple protein bar for a week and not suffer any ill effects. We managed to remotely scan these organs and compared it to the DNA that we had on file. It was Shepard's DNA."

"Those organs could simply have been cloned," Hackett pointed out, "There are several ways to obtain tissue samples for the purposes outlined here."

"True, but you can't clone _memories_. That was what Benz was trying to accomplish before Shepard clammed up. He gave a bit of background but it was enough for us to eliminate the possibility of a clone entirely."

"But what was the purpose of all this?" Anderson gestured.

"That was what I wanted to find out, too," Isaacson said grimly, "So I took the liberty of conducting a more thorough scan. You can see what I found embedded on a specific part on a leg."

He held up his arm, engaging a small display on his omni-tool, and both Anderson and Hackett bent down so they could properly see it. When it came into focus, their eyes widened as the inverted "C" logo was immediately visible.

"_Cerberus_," Anderson whispered.

"Did we check him for bugs?" Hackett burst out in alarm, "Or any tracking software that could-"

"Already taken care of, admiral," Isaacson assured, "Once the logo was discovered, I initiated a sweep of his systems using a remote sifter. He's got some kind of advanced software in his head but from the files I pulled, none of it was devoted to anything that would cause alarm to any of us. It was mostly combat related and codex files."

Isaacson glanced out the window for a brief moment, "Gentlemen, if I may offer my hypothesis, I believe that the body that we are currently referring to as 'Shepard' remains incomplete."

"Your hypothesis is welcome," Hackett nodded, "But why would you guess that it's incomplete?"

"Well, based on our dealings before, we know that Cerberus has always had meticulous and well-laid out plans in the past. Assassinations on party members? Assaults on eezo refineries? All of it was well thought out and planned in advance, but…him? He doesn't even appear to be finished."

Isaacson took a breath, "Let me explain, you'll notice that he appears to be partially covered by that grey armor that you see all around him, yes? That is a lightweight and strong polymer developed by our R&D lab and is currently unavailable to the public, let alone our main military branches, but the intricate layout suggests that his whole body was supposed to be covered in the stuff."

"So you mean to tell me," Anderson said skeptically, "That Cerberus used a stolen material in order to pass this machine off as Shepard as an infiltration unit?"

"Technically, they wouldn't be passing it off. Based on DNA results, which _can_ be proven inconclusive if false, but with the combination of whatever MSE testing that Benz managed to pull off, I state again that we can definitively conclude that it definitely _is_ Shepard in there."

Anderson's gaze could have shattered steel as he now looked at the cyborg for even a hint of familiarity as Isaacson continued, "Back to what I was saying, the polymer can replicate human movement through artificial nerves which is why the upper portion of his face can move like that. If his entire body was coated, then he would have the capacity to essentially pose as a human exactly. We checked the measurements and they're the same as what we have on file for him, even the weight is similar albeit not exact due to the heavy nature of the materials involved, but still lighter than what we were expecting. His hydraulic limbs allow him to pulverize certain objects and jump higher distances while the combat software embedded in his mind grants him complete and total control of his surroundings."

"But…" Hackett paused, "It's still Shepard…"

"That's the idea. We haven't been able to talk to him much but now that you're here, maybe he'll finally open up."

"I wanted to question him regardless," Anderson growled, "I still want to look him in the eye…or whatever he has now, and see for myself whether it is Shepard or not."

"Better you than me," Bailey muttered under his breath.

* * *

The door slid open and Shepard perked up slightly to the lone sound. His eyes automatically turned to the entrance and he was somewhat unsurprised to see two familiar faces walk towards him on the other end of the table. They were the two he had been requesting, after all.

Anderson's and Hackett's expressions were grim, stone-faced, which was to be expected. Perhaps he would have to endure one final round of questioning before he could move on.

Perhaps…

"Anderson," he let the word ring out a moment before he continued, "It's good to see you again." He now tilted his head towards the other man, "And Admiral Hackett, I'm glad that you were able to come."

No one spoke as each coldly regarded the other, as if his visitors were unwilling to accept the truth that had been thrust into their faces so suddenly, so unexpectedly. To see a long lost comrade, back from the dead, is a sobering experience for even the most stoic of men.

Anderson crossed his hands as he leaned forward onto the desk before he tested the waters, "Who are you?"

Shepard matched the councilor's movements, "Commander John Shepard. But they told you that already, didn't they? You just threw out that question to confirm for yourself instead of having to rely on the eyewitness account that wasn't a completely trusted source."

"You may be right, but I remain skeptical. Commander Shepard died fifteen months ago."

"And yet here I am."

"And yet you are. You may sound like him, you may even think you're him, but how can you _prove_ that you're really him?"

"What do you want from me?"

Hackett, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, now chose his moment to speak, "The truth. We want a debriefing of your whereabouts from the moment we supposedly lost you."

Metal shoulders rose in a shrug, "My guess on what went on during those fifteen months is as good as yours. The Normandy was attacked, I was spaced, and along the way Cerberus managed to get its filthy paws off me." He slowly blinked his glowing eyes, "But this could have been avoided. You deliberately stopped looking for me mere days after I died. Why was that, admiral? _Why_, Anderson? Why did the Council, whom I fought for and defended, suddenly decided to ignore everything I'd done? Give me an answer to that first, and then you'll have yours."

Anderson sighed, "You have to understand-"

"No, I most certainly _do not_ have to understand!"

"Okay, okay," Anderson raised his arms to calm him down, "You have to believe me when I tell you that I did not approve of the decision, but once the Council had heard enough testimonies from the surviving crew of the Normandy, they ceased all search and rescue operations."

"_Why_?"

"Their official response was that it was too dangerous to have a large task force operate so far into the Terminus systems. But I knew better, even though they never cut me in on their machinations. I think that they took the opportunity to quell any rumors you brought up while you were chasing Saren. The things you said, you made them afraid…if you can remember that at all." The last part carried a thinly disguised tone of disgust, but Shepard detected it all the same.

"_Of course_ I remember warning the Council about the Reapers. From the sound of things, I would have to guess that they haven't taken any extra precautions about my advice to be prepared."

The human councilor shrugged, "They chose to believe that Sovereign was a geth ship and that Saren had managed to manipulate the geth into following him. Not that it was part of a sentient and ancient race of machines responsible for the extermination of all life in the galaxy."

"Those blind fools…" Shepard growled, "Joker told me as much but hearing it from you...I didn't want to believe that it was possible."

He continued to fume in silence as Anderson and Hackett regarded him. Cold fingers tapped at the metal surface from whatever reach the cuffs on his arms allowed. The councilor cautiously slid his chair forward so he could be more personable with the cyborg.

"You...you came here for a reason. The Shepard that I knew would not do something so rash without a plan. If you can help us understand what it is you want-"

"-I can tell you what the only reason for my coming here is. What it is I _need_." Shepard straightened in his seat, "I _need _my life back."

Sensing hesitation from his company, he pressed on, "I see how you look at me. It's the same how I've been treated ever since I woke up. It's always comprised of the same glance of disgust, an eye of loathing. How do you think that makes me feel? To be a pariah in an instant? I _hate _it. I hate this body, I hate how people can't react to me normally anymore, I hate it all. If it weren't for the fact that a few people managed to accept me, albeit begrudgingly, I would have killed myself long before even considering to come here."

The sight of the former human seethe gave chills to the organics sitting in the room as the abhorrent voice continued, "After all that you are going to ask me, you will eventually come to your own conclusions on who I am, but once you realize that I am Shepard, you will do what I ask. Consider it your penance for simply letting me go." He raised a skeletal hand for emphasis, "_Fix this_. I don't care if this skeleton remains my body, but I don't want it to be seen. Not by anyone, not even me. I want to have skin again, I want to be _normal_."

Anderson grimaced, "You speak as if _we_ were the ones who caused you your pain. You demand normality but we cannot just merely give you your life back."

"But had you done more, I could have been _spared_ pain. I would not be in Cerberus' hands, but in a nice quiet grave back on Earth. I've gotten to the point where I've had enough. I know I can't swap my body, but I can hide it." He gazed intensely at Anderson, "And I _know_ the Alliance can make that possible."

"We can," Hackett said, mouth a thin line, "But you're going to have to do better than that."

"Maybe you can start by telling us what happened when you woke up," Anderson offered.

Shepard glanced back and forth between the two, slowly letting his head face each other before going back to its original position. Rolling his metal head in an imitation of loosening up, he scooted forward, clasping his hands together as he quietly fumed, "This better be the last time I have to explain myself…"

* * *

Hackett and Anderson both looked like they aged ten years once they stepped out the door. Ignoring any questions from their peers in the observation room, they walked out into the hallway and gestured to the guards manning the entrance. Hackett nodded to Anderson as he moved toward the far end of the hallway towards the elevator bay. Anderson, meanwhile, immediately moved to the next room further down the hall as the soldiers prepared to move Shepard and waved to the observer for access.

Once the light flashed green on the door in front of them, he moved into to address the two sitting in the other interrogation room. Anderson should have been surprised to see that there was a third person in the room as well but the conversation with Shepard had left him emotionally drained.

"Commander Alenko," Anderson said tiredly, showing a hint of warmth, "This is unexpected. I didn't know you were called." Both him and the biotic shook hands, the latter a strong, strapping man who was dressed in Alliance casuals. His combed hair was carefully parted and there was an air of resignation on him.

"Councilor," Kaidan nodded, saluting to Hackett. "I actually got a message from this one here," motioning a hand at Joker, who waved sheepishly, Garrus rolling his eyes beside him, "And I wanted to come as quickly as possible. What happened?"

"Yes, sir," Joker said as he adjusted his cap, "What went on? Did you talk to Shepard?"

Anderson eyed the trio before grabbing a spare chair and sitting down beside Kaidan. Joker and Garrus were not cuffed to the table as Shepard was and they maneuvered their seats so that they could better view the human.

"I did," he breathed, "And...Shepard is going to be fine."

Garrus banged the table with his hand, "Yes! I knew he'd get through."

"He's being taken to surgery now. No telling when they'll be finished but I've been assured that he'll be up and running in a week, max."

"So, it really is Shepard…" Kaidan muttered as he stared off into space.

"We couldn't convince him until you got here, sir," Joker turned to Anderson, "He thought that we had been duped by a Cerberus trick."

"Well," Garrus offered, "From our standpoints that's what we _all _thought when we first met the resilient bastard. It's just...I'm glad he's finally getting some closure."

"I'll admit that it was tough to believe, but that _is_ Shepard in that room. However, he won't be the same again," Anderson shook his head, "He will be confined to that body for the rest of his life. What the docs down there are doing is making him look more presentable."

"Presentable?" Kaidan asked, "How?"

"Cosmetic adjustments such as a flash-cloned epidermis, and some minor tweaking with various bits of hardware. He will look like himself again, but Shepard will have to adjust to the fact that he will not be able to return to normal. When he died, everything changed for him."

Garrus looked confused, "But what's going to happen to him afterward?"

"We're just going to have to take this one step at a time," Anderson sighed. "We've cleared him on any Cerberus affiliation, which should be enough to get him to reaffirm his allegiance to the Council in order to retain his Spectre status. After that, well…" The hint of a smile flashed across his face, "After that, we'll see if we can get him back up to speed. It wouldn't do to have him lazing around, would it?"

"_Hot damn_!" Joker crowed before suddenly stopping in embarrassment, "Does this mean that…?"

"Yes, Joker," Anderson laughed, "I took the liberty of pardoning for your involvement in a terrorist organization as well because I know that making that decision in your case was warranted by a series of unfortunate conclusions made by this Council. For that, I apologize and have hereby assigned you under Shepard's command for any future assignments should the man decide to get back in the game."

Joker straightened in his seat and snapped off a salute, "_Thank you_, sir."

"Councilor," Garrus started nervously, "Sir, would by any chance-"

"I have no authority over you, Vakarian," Anderson shrugged, "The decision for you to stay can only be given by Shepard and I suspect that he would want you around, he would want you all around with him. This man needs to heal and it would do to have his comrades-in-arms by his side for that."

Now it was Kaidan's turn to look confused, "Anderson, does this mean…?"

"It means that you will be placed under Shepard's command again, Commander Alenko. However," he added with a wink, "If you feel that your skills would be best needed _elsewhere_, I could certainly accomodate-"

"Negative on that, sir," Kaidan beamed as his gaze swept the entire room, "It will be great to work with the crew again, sir."

Joker's grin was so wide it was contagious, "_Now_ we're getting the band back together!"

* * *

Shepard's escort flashed a badge to the guard in front of the surgery wing. The man nodded and opened it to let the human and cyborg through. C-Sec's medical bay was a treasure trove in terms of valuable equipment and raw talent. The various procedures that were performed on organics were arranged by floors. Shepard's department of interest took place on the fifth floor, which was reserved for military use.

C-Sec truly didn't have control over all its properties. Rather, it leased various departments out to whoever was willing to rent the equipment out. Everything from biotech corporations to planetary militaries all had some stake with the material that C-Sec had managed to accumulate over the years. It had gotten to the point where they simply marked out an entire floor filled with the most popular equipment for lease and maintained a discreet but open acknowledgment about the use of its equipment.

Alliance soldiers were clustered more heavily around one such particular room and it was here that Shepard passed through alone, the escort having done his duty to the letter. The area was filled with half a dozen white-coated technicians and doctors while in the center lay a cylindrical glass tube, heavy machinery surrounding it on all sides, save for the entrance.

Entirely clad in white, a doctor motioned for him to step inside the tube, to which he did so compliantly. A harness, perpendicular to the floor, was the only thing standing inside and it took the help of three to properly secure him to it to prevent his limbs from flailing around. Once that had been completed, a tray was brought over and the technicians began hooking various tubes from the top of the cylinder to his body. External ports located in his chest provided direct access to key systems. A hose was strapped in to keep him properly hydrated and smaller tubes were attached so that the proper drug dosage could be administered to his bloodstream directly, through the use of a small port located behind the grey armor in front of the synthsac.

Shepard could only stare straight ahead as the men ducked beneath his field of vision, tinkering with his inner workings before they stepped aside. Double-checking their procedures, they gave a thumbs up to the specialist manning the systems controls. A few seconds later, there was a distinct _whoosh _of air as it was pumped into his lungs directly, another tube filtering out the carbon dioxide. There was a dripping noise and Shepard peered down to see that the chamber was slowly flooding with water. Had he not been more informed he would have panicked right then. Skin treatments required the use of a buoyant medium for proper coverage and sensitivity purposes. A procedure like this could simply not be done any other way.

The water was up to his waist now but Shepard did not so much as flinch. Rather, he closed his eyes and let the coldness seep around him, encase him, and transport him away. When the liquid completely covered him, he could still feel the air pumping in and out of his body in a steady rhythm, the hoses perfectly sealed to the outside environment.

There was now a feeling of cold fluid _within _him but it was not from the tank. Rather, it was from the combination of drugs that were now flooding his system directly through his bloodstream. The feeling was intense, he was freezing. The cold seemed to be reaching all throughout his body, a sensation he hadn't felt before in a long time. The icy fingers stretched toward his brain and he relaxed as the blackness swallowed him up.

* * *

It seemed like mere moments had passed before he closed his eyes until they suddenly snapped open, mind clear of the drugs that had permeated it. His vision stretched beyond his glass prison so much that he could see all of the expressions on his caretakers. They all seemed relaxed, calm, some even putting on warm smiles.

_Did it work? Am I back?_

He opened his mouth to ask his questions but all that elicited was a gigantic bubble as it frothed to the surface. He stared upward as the water level immediately descended and awaited for the moment that the air would touch him again. There was a faint prickle as the top of his head slowly became exposed, but it quickly escalated into a burn.

Shepard jerked in his bonds as more and more of him was being freed from the water. Everywhere the water slid off felt like he was on _fire_. What was going on? It felt like he had been dipped in corrosive acid. He spat the water from his mouth as he yelled in pain, limbs rattling in place. Technicians beyond the threshold shouted for him to calm down but he paid them no mind. Fluid flowed off him, causing his skin to prickle as the slightest brush of air passed over it.

He stopped thrashing long enough to adjust to the sensation.

_Skin_.

Shepard desperately tried to stop trembling long enough to peer down at himself. When he did, he let out a low sob as his body came into view. Aside from the errant tube poking out of his body, the sight of his familiar, pink covering caused him to open and close his mouth incoherently. The muscle on his person was just as defined when he last remembered it, save for the fact that it was completely smooth; the scars that he'd accumulated during the hunt for Saren had been completely erased.

A fresh start, a new turn.

By now, the cylinder had been completely drained and four doctors were now inside, uncoupling the tubes attached to his body and adjusting his harness so that he was now parallel to the floor. Moans were the only noises coming from his body as he continued to feel his skin smolder. Shepard's eyesight blurred and he lifted a free hand to wipe away the intruding filter. When a fleshy hand touched his face, he stopped. He could feel the warmth, instead of the dull prickle that had come from any touch when it was just his metal appendage, the full range of temperature flowed through his fingertips, the sensations flaring with joy in his brain.

"It's…" he sputtered, "It's…"

Exactly what "it" was never had a chance to fully vocalize from Shepard's mouth because the last tube in his chest was held up to the light as a doctor inserted a syringe into it. As he watched the clear substance race towards him, he only had time to groan out loud before the lights went out again.

* * *

The transition from limbo to alert was much less sudden this time. Gradually, he let his eyes open and adjust to the ambient light rather than have his overloaded system jar him out immediately. He could see that the room he was in was a regular room that one would find in a hospital, much like the one he had found himself in when he escaped from Cerberus.

Unlike that dismal place, the entire place was much more pleasing and accommodating to the eye. The bed he was on was soft and comfy. A simple desk stood beside it and a window overlooking the Presidium streamed warm light into his room.

Positioning him in an upright position, he winced as he felt himself itch all over. Acting on instinct, he reached a hand to scratch and sighed in pleasure as the feeling produced tingles. Even though he technically had not been simply a metal robot for very long, he vowed never to take such sensations for granted. He reflected that Tali was probably in a similar state of mind, her being encased inside an enviro-suit, unable to enjoy simple pleasures such as skin in the open air, having nothing to impede it. He clenched a fist at the very thought of her, frowning. There were so many things he wanted to do now but he could scarcely focus on one single thought, his mind was racing.

He gingerly swept his feet over the edge of the bed, noting that he was wearing a standard hospital gown. It was made of a sheer and light material and Shepard surreptitiously glanced down to see how extensive the procedure had been, walking over to a mirror in the corner. He needn't have worried, everything had been replicated exactly as it was, as he was about to see. No longer viewing a skull for a face, he sighed in relief as his normal, chiseled face smiled back at him in the reflective surface. His scars may have been removed on his torso, but he did note that the one on top of his head, near his bangs was kept intact. He would have to ask about that later.

On cue, the door opened and a smiling man in a white coat stepped into sight. He looked to be in his mid-thirties and had a full head of thick, black hair. Shepard turned quickly and relaxed his posture once he saw the man head toward him with an arm outstretched.

"Commander Shepard?" the man began, "I'm Dr. Luther. My team and I have been working on you nonstop for the past three days. I thought I'd come in and give you the rundown, face-to-face."

Shepard touched his chest in surprise after releasing Luther's hand, "Three days? That long?" He quickly scanned the room to find a place to sit and successfully found a chair. Luther pulled up one from a nearby table so that they could talk more easily.

"Organ replication is a long and arduous process, commander," Luther said as he nodded sagely, "Add to the fact that yours was one of the few full body procedures we've ever done and you're guaranteed at least a two day stay in the tube."

"At least I was out for that time," Shepard scratched the back of his neck as he spoke.

"Well, you also spent two extra days recuperating in this very bed. We only lessened your dosage six hours ago so that you could naturally come out of your mini-coma, as opposed to that rather rude awakening back there."

Shepard gave a quick laugh, "I've had worse."

"So I've heard. But anyway, as your doctor I have to ask, how are you feeling? I know that your skin must be itching like hell right about now and trust me when I say that it'll pass in time. But is there any other discomfort that I'm not aware of?"

"Aside from the itching all over my body, which you mentioned, I'm fine. It...it feels like my skin. Although it seems to be rather chilly in here right now-"

"Your new skin is just going through a period of hypersensitivity. This is common for all cloned organs, you just need to let it adjust. Oh, and the marks on your chest from the tubes? Those will heal over in a few days, nothing to worry about."

"Cloned organs?" Shepard arched an eyebrow, noting that he could at least perform this motion and have it look natural.

"Oh yes. We can't just use skin donations for such a _radical _procedure. You would have permanent scarring that would resemble a jigsaw puzzle which probably wouldn't sit well with you. Instead, we used previous scans to create a template for the farm to develop. Digital artists created a render of what you looked like and added your facial features, painstakingly replicated from your records, in order to bring your image back."

"Where did you get the scans?"

"You didn't really think that those decontamination protocols on all of our ships simply _decontaminated_ did you?"

Shepard looked quizzical, "There was never anything to support the fact that they performed any other function. I guess I should be grateful for that."

"Maybe so. Do you have any questions regarding the specifics of the, _ahem,_ new you?"

"Actually, yes," Shepard raised an arm for emphasis, "I'm kind of surprised that you managed to make this skin _warm_. I mean, considering the fact that there is no circulation underneath, there should be no reason-"

"Ah," Luther waggled a finger with a twinkle in his eye, "That's one of the more ingenious aspects we came up with. We installed a nano-weave of heat emitters _into _the epidermis itself. What you have there is a complex structure of skin, muscle, tissue, and nanotechnology. The weave emulates the feeling of natural body heat so that people wouldn't be caught off guard when you move in to give them a handshake, case in point." He raised his own arm to match Shepard's with a smile. "Not expecting us to be that detailed, huh?"

"I'll admit, it is a welcome surprise. But is there...you know...anything you had to leave out?"

Now Luther laughed for a few seconds before answering, "Don't worry, Shepard. It's you through and through. Every conceivable aspect is where it should be. We had to make some adjustments to some more prominent features such as your eyes and teeth, in the cosmetic sense, but you are able to experience the sensations that all humans do. That is mostly thanks to the accommodating design of what is technically your new skeleton. Built into the base of the neck was a specific slot that allowed for artificial nerve fibers to be installed in case the addition was deemed necessary by the original designers. That is why you are able to have your sense of touch back. We took the liberty of installing our own fibers and connected them to your brain stem while you were out in the drink. I think it's safe to say that you now have a completely functioning nervous system again and you're essentially back to your normal self."

The good news swept over the commander, causing him to break out in a grin, "What were the changes to my eyes and teeth?"

"Like I said, purely cosmetic. We had to swap out your optics for regular colored ones so your eyes are blue again instead of that nasty orange. Also, your teeth were also replaced for natural ivory colored ones instead of black. Wouldn't want people to think that you took a sugar binge while you were away, right?"

As Shepard slumped in his chair, stunned, Luther put his hand on his chin and continued, "Although, I do have to advise you, that did have to make some major modifications to your structure during surgery."

Shepard glanced over, "Such as?"

"Well, in order to conform to your body shape exactly, we had to remove those pieces of grey armor that you were partially encased in."

"And that's a problem, how?"

"It isn't exactly a problem, but it does mean a few developments that you might have been in the process of getting used to. Right now, it means that you are more vulnerable to gunfire, should you venture back out in the field as you will not have this covering to protect you any longer. That means that you can be hurt, just the same as any one of us."

Shepard pinched the inside of his arm, "This skin feels pain?"

"Pain, pleasure, anything you can think of. It even _bleeds_, in small amounts, though. You have a thin layer of blood between the outer epidermis and the muscle, like it is on any body. That was done for the blood to act as a lubricant between the two layers and to make it seem to other people that you're more man than machine, in case you just so happened to get wounded again."

The worn lines on his palm seemed to stand out, from Shepard's perspective. He regarded the limb with a careful curiosity, as if he had plunged into a wonderful dream, and that he could wake up at any moment. The itching had subsided drastically by now, as had the cold, and Shepard breathed in, letting his nose filter in all the air it could take. He breathed out from his mouth, letting the warmth flow past his tongue and lips, letting unused senses completely trap him in its surrounding embrace.

"My god," he mused, "It's _uncanny_."

"At the very least," Luther said as he rose from his chair, "It was an honor to help you along, Commander Shepard. I hope you think of my team's efforts as satisfactory."

Shepard held out a hand for Luther to shake, who gripped it firmly, "Your efforts were more than satisfactory, doctor. And the honor was mine."

With a gracious nod of the head, Luther backed out of the room and left Shepard to his thoughts. Aimlessly drumming away with his fingers on the table, Shepard sighed at the sudden quiet. The padded noises from his fingers drew a big grin on his face as the reverberations traveled up them, delivering the pressure signals to the intended source.

"The honor was all mine…"

* * *

_**A/N: So I began the rather unfortunate practice of writing these chapters at the office when I should be doing actual work. Hell, I have a lot of free time over there so why not make the most of it? This way, I'll be able to churn out chapters faster rather than my rather pathetic output at the moment.**_

_**Expect the next chapter to finally get this series back on familiar ground. Should be out by Friday if I get enough time in!**_


	14. Chapter 2: Back So Soon?

_One week later_

_BOOM…_

_BOOM…_

The echo of the gunfire bursts rang out across the range. The deep bass wave of the weapon combined with the comfortable recoil gave Shepard a moment's appreciation for the situation. The pulse that traveled through his ears did not make him flinch, rather it caused him to firmly set himself on his target across the room.

The spent heat sink automatically ejected as it was pushed to its capacity and the slide remained open. The gun could no longer fire anymore. Satisfied, he set the gun down on the table in front of him, muzzle pointed downrange, while he waited for his friends to finish up. Overcome by interest, he quickly swiped his hand across the heated metal of the barrel and visibly recoiled once the hot temperature transferred to his hand, causing the quartermaster in the corner to sigh in frustration.

He held his limb up as he watched the surface of his palm turn an angry pink. Despite the pain, he smiled. It was a reminder of what he had to lose, what he could have lost permanently.

Momentarily, the reports of pistols also quieted as Garrus and Kaidan set their weapons down, both breathing hard but calmly as they turned to the monitors on the side to observe their score. They had been using the C-Sec range for the past day now in order to brush themselves up on actual weapons and tactics. It wasn't a mandatory requirement but both Shepard and Garrus had at least felt compelled to go through with it, Kaidan joining them voluntarily to maintain better unit cohesion. It would keep them occupied as Shepard was, for the moment, grounded. He had to do _something _to pass the time.

Kaidan, after looking at his riddled target over the monitor, walked over to Garrus' station to compare results. If Kaidan had noticed the turian's twitching mandibles beforehand, he needn't have bothered.

"Damn!" he scowled as the score flashed across the turian's board.

"That's three in a row, human," Garrus said triumphantly, "You game for one more round?"

"Want me to throw you across the room?" Kaidan shot back, lifting a purple glowing arm as the air distorted around it. The threat was real but the tone was light.

Garrus laughed, "Sore loser." He peered around the side to take a look at Shepard's score and quickly turned back after making eye contact with the smirking commander.

"I've noticed that you haven't made of point of comparing _our _results out loud for the last fifteen minutes," Shepard said teasingly.

"Yeah, well," Garrus shrugged, "A still target is one thing...and completely steady hands is another aspect entirely."

Shepard chuckled, "Sore loser."

The turian merely rolled his eyes as the signal was given to load their weapons. Shepard's hand moved to the side to grab a fresh sink before a voice loudly broadcast itself over the intercom.

"_Will Commander Shepard report to the quartermaster's office, please. Commander Shepard to the quartermaster's office, please._"

Shrugging to both Garrus and Kaidan, he set the sink down next to the weapon and walked to the door out of the range, rubbing his hands together to wipe the excess grease off them. The quartermaster's office was the next door down so he didn't have to go far. Once he entered the extremely drab, grey room, Shepard unconsciously saluted as he saw the man sitting behind the desk.

"Anderson."

The councilor returned the salute and offered his hand. Shepard gratefully grasped it, careful not to crush the man's hand in a firm vice-like grip.

"You know, commander," the dark-skinned man smiled, careful to use his official rank now, "You don't have to salute me these days. The position of councilor is not military so I have no official jurisdiction over you."

"True," Shepard smirked, "But I am a Spectre and you are part of the council that gave me that title. So, in retrospect, you _do _have jurisdiction over me, to some extent at least."

"To some extent," Anderson repeated in agreement, sitting back down as Shepard pulled up a chair, "You feeling any better?"

Now Shepard grinned, one of the biggest he'd had in days, "Much. I've only started getting used to my normal range of senses again. You have…" he trailed off for a moment, "I'm sorry...it's just that to experience this is something I never want to partake in again."

"You don't have to apologize, son," Anderson said kindly, "There wasn't anything you could have done to change what happened. If anything, _I _should be the one apologizing to _you_."

Shepard only smiled as he held up a hand, "You've tried to apologize over the last few days, Anderson. I know I was angry at first but you did all you could. I don't blame you for all of the red tape that surrounded my death, I just needed to vent on someone at the time."

The councilor reached out, initially hesitant, but followed through and patted Shepard's hand, "You'll do fine, Shepard."

Shepard nodded sagely, "Thank you, sir."

The two sat like that for a minute as the silence festered. Their thoughts turned to the past, when it was just them, captain and commander. The two of them against the galaxy with no end in sight.

How naive of them to even think that.

Anderson broke the awkward pause with a cough, "It was at least a relief to see that the rest of the councilors voted for you to retain your Spectre status. I was afraid that they would make a big fuss over it considering the lengths they went to cover your revelations up."

"It was worth it to see their faces. I noticed that Councilor Sparatus was not particularly excited."

Anderson chuckled, "Well, what did you expect? The whole galaxy thought that you were dead and suddenly you come sauntering through the door with a few extra bells and whistles. He had every right to splutter in place."

"Even though he continued to vehemently deny the Reapers' existence, along with the rest of them."

Now Anderson leaned forward, voice grave, "I won't lie to you, Shepard. The other councilors might not to admit it, but they're scared. Deep down I believe that they _are _aware of the truth, but they haven't found the courage to acknowledge it yet."

Shepard sighed, "So, what you're saying is that it's a pissing match at this point."

"Crudely put, but accurate. Words aren't going to push them that extra step they need in order to adopt your mindset. You need actual proof."

"What proof? The only proof we had was Sovereign and Vigil on Ilos. But Sovereign is rusting in a scrap yard now and Vigil has been deactivated. I have nothing to back me up. _Nothing_."

"A little defeatist, wouldn't you say? What happened to the Commander Shepard who wouldn't let anything stand in his way? Who would overrun legions of enemy forces to reach his objectives? That man still sits before me, does he not? You might not have any proof at the moment, but you _will_. I know that."

"How?" Shepard waved a hand, "How can I get any proof if I'm all I'm doing now is sitting on my ass, shooting at targets, until 'further notice?' How can you explain that?"

Anderson only smiled as he pushed a datapad across the desk, "Further notice, you say?"

Shepard picked it up, "You're _joking_."

"Approved by Admiral Hackett and myself," Anderson beamed, "You're back on active duty as of right now."

Shepard breathed in, "_Thank you_, sir. I...I don't know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything. You'll be even more pleased to know that you have been given an assignment passed down straight from the top, effective immediately. Classified, of course."

Shepard skimmed the file before lifting his head, "That reminds me, will I have a ship for this? I know the Normandy was blown up and all but I'm assuming that you have one in mind."

"Indeed I do. That _Veritas _you brought in here seemed to have done the job for you. Why not take it out for a few more laps around the block?"

He nodded, "It _did _serve me well. A bit smaller than the Normandy, but it's a good ship, nonetheless."

"We swept it for bugs and have pronounced it clean," Anderson encouraged, "It may not be the Normandy but it's got the firepower and the speed for practically any job. Minus the heat diffusion system, though. Only one ship had that capability and she's gone."

"I guess it'll have to do," Shepard agreed.

"Once we get a more thorough accounting of our assets, we may be able to provide you a bigger and better ship. As it is, that oddball of a vessel will have to do for now, but it won't exactly look out of place once the fleet is organized."

"Fleet?"

"You may be a Spectre, but you were Alliance first. And someone with that much credibility to their name doesn't deserve only one ship, but _six_, wouldn't you say?"

"Five extra ships for me to command?"

"As you see fit. They'll be ready for deployment in a few weeks' time but the current mission that we've set you on is a bit simpler than that. One ship served you well in the past and you can surely do with one until everything is ready, yes?"

"Absolutely," Shepard eagerly replied, "I've been itching to get back into the game. But what is on this report is rather concerning." He held up the datapad for emphasis, "It says here that an entire colony has gone dark. Is that really so much a cause for concern?"

Anderson's mouth was a hard line, "Ordinarily, no. We'd usually attribute it to a power failure that would mean disrupted comms. Only trouble is, over a hundred colonies has had this happen to them over the past year. A hundred _human _colonies."

"No warning?"

"None. And that isn't even the weird thing. We've only managed to properly examine a fraction of these colonies due to their location in the Terminus and it seems like everyone up and left."

"Vehicles still on the pads?"

"Not a sign that anything had even been packed. It's as if everyone just walked away in the middle of whatever they were doing."

"And this happened at over a hundred colonies?" Shepard rubbed the top of his head, where his hair was starting to create peach fuzz, "Damn." He scrolled through the rest of the report, trying to see if he had missed anything, "So this one colony, 'Freedom's Progress,' we only heard about two days ago?"

Anderson nodded, "We try to keep in touch with these colonies as a source of backup for these people. Most of the colonies that you see here are made up of individuals who are trying to fend for themselves without the Alliance to watch over them. They consider it to be a protest against individualized governments but that's not what's at stake here. This means that the Alliance does little to protect them, which is a vulnerability that enemy attackers could exploit."

"Think it's an abduction?"

"Has to be. No trace of weapons fire and there is no way anyone could survive out in the wilderness of these worlds without proper preparation."

Anderson stood up and after a few seconds, Shepard too, "The mission is simple, Shepard. Go to Freedom's Progress and ascertain the situation. A single ship can maneuver through the Terminus systems relatively easily and can drop down there and find out what happened. You will pick the ground team of course. Once we're done here, everything's in your hands."

"Just like old times," Shepard breathed in relief.

"Joker has been assigned as your pilot as he was rather insistent on it. Between you and me, he would be rather lost without you or me. Also, we managed to procure a few familiar faces to be assigned to your vessel: Dr. Chakwas and Engineer Adams. They've been tapped and are eager to resume their duties."

"I can't exactly say it's a bad thing to have a few extra friends around," Shepard smiled as Anderson held out his hand for a parting shake. "I'll let you know what we find down there, Anderson."

"Good luck, _Commander_."

* * *

"I gotta say, Shepard," Kaidan wrinkled his nose in disgust, "I prefer the Normandy."

"You're not alone there, pal," Garrus shook his head, "I haven't met anyone on this rig who _hadn't _made a favorable comparison to that ship as of yet."

Standing in front of the galaxy board, Shepard silently agreed with them, but it wasn't becoming of a commanding officer to trash talk his own ship in front of a loyal crew, no matter how inferior it was in every aspect. The _Veritas_-class vessel (they still had yet to give it a proper name) had passed through one of the many dozens of relays within the Serpent Nebula and had been en route towards Freedom's Progress for the better part of an hour now.

From the looks of things, it would be about twenty more minutes before they were due to appear in the system and the three of them had already taken the proper preparations. They all stood, heavily armored, Garrus in his blue armor, Kaidan in the silver and blue accented one of an Alliance officer. Shepard had immediately gone to the rack on the side of the armory where a full set of N7 armor had been procured. Eager for the familiar embrace, it weighed like nothing once it was firmly in place, the armor fit like a glove.

Their weapons were all Alliance issue, but Shepard, thanks to his Spectre status, had managed to get a hold of a set of Carnifex pistols and several custom components for their assault rifles. The M-8 Avengers now had improved sights and extended barrels for greater accuracy. They also were inserted with gas-powered compensators to reduce recoil. Those guns had now gone from peashooters to precise instruments of death. Thank god for that credit line.

The intel reported that the atmosphere of the planet was safe but Shepard had ordered helmets on at all times, just in case. No telling what they would find down there. Despite the fact that all signs pointed to this colony being deserted, reducing any chance of injury was a crucial step that Shepard now emphasized immensely. It only took one death to realize how fragile life was.

"It isn't the Normandy," he chose his words carefully, "But it's what we have at the moment. And it'll suffice."

"The beds are less comfortable on this ship than the last one," Garrus grumbled, "And I thought that no one could possibly do any worse."

"Well that's what you get for taking over a ship run by an only-human terrorist group," Kaidan shrugged with a faint grin, "But, if it's all the same, my bunk's pretty crappy as well."

The group moved past the small CIC to the second floor from the staircase nestled in the corner as they continued to talk. As Shepard brushed aside a request from Chakwas for a quick physical, they walked onto the bridge where Joker was mumbling a tune to himself, air-drumming away on the holographic keyboard. He stopped once he heard the sound of boots on metal and sheepishly grinned at Shepard, who smirked as a result.

"Approach due in five, commander," Joker said, trying to avoid the gaze of the amused man.

"Nice and easy, Joker," Shepard gazed out the viewport as the stars raced by and glanced over to where Garrus and Kaidan were standing as they started to put their helmets on.

"Nice and easy, yeah right," Joker muttered quietly, "This thing would be just as stealthy even if I had turian rock music blaring from the external speakers, stupid piece of shit…"

Okay, so no one was taking to the ship very well. There wasn't any chance that the Alliance was building another Normandy right now for them, were they?

There was a quiet _thrum _as the ship transitioned out from the relay network. Joker calmly engaged the sublight drive as the system in question was within their current ballpark, so to speak. Patting the pilot on the back, Shepard donned his helmet as he, Garrus, and Kaidan stole over to the elevator and it deposited them in the shuttle bay. The lone shuttle was painted blue, in Alliance colors, much like the ship after the techs had taken a fresh coat to it. They clambered in and immediately the door slid shut, the VI sensing the right amount of people on board. Engines coming online, it quietly glided out of the bay and into open space.

Seated across from the two, Shepard let his breath momentarily fog his visor before opening, "All right, we don't know what we're headed into over here, so I'd advise complete visual contact. On me at all times and report anything out of the ordinary."

Kaidan couldn't stop grinning like a kid underneath the helmet as he turned to Garrus, "Ah, it's good having the commander back. I'd almost missed the usual crisp and precise order."

"If you want, Kaidan," Shepard said teasingly, "I can always just solve the mystery on my own. You and Garrus can have the run of the ship while I go and do the heavy lifting."

"Um, as much as it is relieving for you to actually find some humor in the situation," Garrus coughed, "I'm going to have to voice my displeasure with a 'no,' a 'no,' and another 'no.'"

"Not striking your fancy?"

"It doesn't strike my fancy."

"Suit yourself," Shepard leaned back, helmet hiding a sly smile, "But when we finally get the chance to add more people to this roster, _you're_ first on the chopping block there, buddy."

"He just doesn't want the extra competition," Garrus whispered to Kaidan.

"Oh, _sure_," the human nodded sarcastically.

"He says more people on the roster, but I can't really imagine who else we'd take," Garrus pointed out, "If we found Liara, I'd guess we could convince her to join up, if she's not working with the Shadow Broker that is. Wrex is…well, Wrex. And then there's always Tali…" The turian shrugged, "I suppose if you really wanted to spice things up, Shepard, you'd hire a master thief or a crazy tattooed lady or something along those lines, in case you thought we're getting too _stale_ for your tastes."

The turian's train of thought caused Shepard's own mind to drift to Tali. He recalled promising her that he would keep in touch often and would come for her when he was out of the madhouse. There were a few problems that had interfered with that promise. For one, his extranet access had been cut the moment he had stepped onto the Citadel, to prevent the possibility of any unauthorized transmissions. Even his remote cracking software that had been previously installed had been bricked. It was only when he left on the ship was he allowed to use his omni-tool to the fullest extent again.

The other problem was trying to balance between duties as he was technically on a mission. As this had more importance considering the time-sensitive nature, this took priority over coming to get Tali. As much as he wanted to go to her and show off his old look, he knew he couldn't abandon his duty for her. Maybe when they were finished and they had a few days to kill, he could find an opportunity then. He would contact her after the mission and let her know what was what. Wouldn't that be nice? She would be thrilled and eager to finally come along, back with her commander again.

A bump told him that the shuttle had made contact with the ground, the only tremor that the motion dampeners allowed through. Springing to his feet instantly, his assault rifle was in his hands as Garrus and Kaidan also readied their weapons.

Shepard gestured to his face, "Eyes open, move out." With that, he pressed the button for the door and they all stepped out as the craft powered down.

The first thing they saw was that they weren't alone, in the general area. The VI in the shuttle had deposited them towards the nearest heat signatures in the colony but right now, they appeared to be coming from _here_.

Shepard switched the visual wavelength in his optics to infra-red, and saw that two of the craft that were crowding the pad were warmer than the surrounding area. Several of the more dusty looking craft blended in perfectly with the background by comparison, their blue and purple shapes having no meaning in his view.

"Shepard, look," Kaidan called out as he approached one of the craft. He immediately snapped back to the visible light wavelength as he walked to the side of the craft where Kaidan was pointing. It was a Kodiak shuttle, painted white and whatever Kaidan had noticed was on its side. When Shepard reached the human, he glanced down and immediately was able to spot what had alerted him.

The unwelcome logo seemingly glowed in its black and gold tinges. _Cerberus_.

"_Goddamn it_," Shepard breathed, "How did they get here so quickly?"

"Must have piggybacked the communications and were closer to act than we were," Kaidan guessed.

Garrus glanced over, "Two craft. Enough for a few squads?"

Kaidan looked at the other for a few seconds, "I don't think so. This shuttle is clearly marked. The other is bare. I don't think it's just us and Cerberus here."

A faint noise then came to them from past a series of blocky structures. All three of them peered in the direction of the sound. It was unmistakably the sound of a gunshot.

"I don't think they like each other, whoever's here," Shepard stepped towards the commotion, "Which means someone might need help. Come on."

The white alloy of the docking structure rattled as they tramped across it to the rectangular design that served as the proper template for temporary housing. The door was unlocked and they all stepped in. Inside, they found a simple arrangement of a series of bunks complete with a kitchen and living room. Nothing was particularly extravagant, only the fact that no one seemed to be home at all.

This was in line with the initial analysis. Even the vidscreen at the far end of the structure still blazed with life, showing a taped recording of a bioti-ball game from a few weeks ago. A pot on the stove continued to steam as the heat source had never been turned off. It was like everyone had vanished off the face of this planet.

Moving through, they ventured into a small courtyard. Stone blocks lay all around, material for more permanent structures. The area reminded Shepard of a quarry, white limestone, heavy machinery. To its actual purpose, he couldn't say. He had never lived on a colony before.

"Hard to believe there used to be almost a million people on this planet," Garrus whispered, "Where do you think they could have gone?"

"I'm wondering that myself," Shepard admitted, "The reports should have prepared me for this but I'm just getting more and more confused by the second."

A scuffling noise by the nearest shack caused them all to turn in alarm. Someone was inside there. Shepard made the "follow me" motion with his hand as he took the right side as Kaidan took the left. Garrus was on point as the door opened and he was the first to enter.

Shepard could see a lone man standing in the middle of the room. He was partially clad in white armor as he stood over the crumpled form of a body. Upon hearing the door open, he turned and Shepard could see the man's face partially drop in shock, the mouth making a stunned, "_uhhh_."

There was no question that the man was Cerberus. Blood pounded in his ears as Shepard's world took on a hazy red blur, the man the only thing in the room remaining in focus. But before Shepard could even raise his arms, despite his enhanced reflexes, before the thought to move ever entered his brain, a shot rang out and the man collapsed as blood pooled around him. He jumped as the noise snapped him out of his trance to see Garrus' pistol wisp vaguely from its report.

"Oh, _crap_," the turian sounded shocked, "I kind of meant for that to be a warning shot…whoops?"

Intentional or no, Shepard had no motive to berate the turian for his hasty action for he would have done the same, no questions asked. Instead he moved past Garrus and walked over to the dying man, nudging his leg with a boot as he coldly regarded him from behind the helmet.

There was no salvation for this man. Garrus' shot had completely pierced his neck, blood was streaming out in a small geyser. His mouth also spurted up the red liquid as he struggled to breathe, blood pressure decreasing with every second. His eyes wavered as they slid in and out of focus, desperate to grasp a shred of life. Upon seeing his assailants, he began breathing faster and his red-stained neck leaked more vital fluids until he was still all at once.

There was no reason to mourn. The man had put on the uniform of an enemy. He had chosen this path and this was where it ended. Shepard got out when he had the chance, this man could have done the same.

Next to the body, the thing that had grasped the man's attention seconds before his life was extinguished, was another corpse. This one was not human, which meant it was neither Cerberus nor one of the colonists. It was a quarian.

"Why would a quarian be here?" Garrus asked in surprise. Shepard could not even begin to speculate. The quarian was a male, dull brown shawl, brushed grey helmet, simple attire for a common soldier. Shepard bent down for a closer look as he gingerly felt the body for signs of life.

"The quarian wasn't restrained," Shepard determined, "It looks like he fell where he was shot. I'd guess they happened to stumble across each other and reacted rather badly. Probably the source of the fighting that's going on right now, in fact."

"It doesn't exactly make our job any easier," Kaidan shook his head remorsefully, "Any additional orders with these new parameters, Shepard?"

"Simple," Shepard stood up as he plucked his rifle forth again, "Keep any quarians alive and kill anything that is Cerberus. I've got a reputation to uphold here."

* * *

The thundering of gun blasts gave a clear indication of where they were to go. They had not encountered any further resistance as they headed through the compound, but did have to frequently step over the scattered remains of various security mechs and occasionally the body of a quarian.

They still were unable to explain what had drawn the quarians here in the first place. The Cerberus presence was slightly clearer. It was apparent that they too shared an interest in why human colonies were suddenly disappearing and were trying to develop their own conclusions. That made their ulterior motive all the more sinister if they believed that there was powerful information hidden in here somewhere.

The squad approached a large set of doors which were flashing green. Motion sensors were picking up life signs on the other side, and if the smattering of chaingun bullets on the door was any evidence, they were going to be embroiled in a fight very soon.

Taking point, Shepard motioned for Garrus and Kaidan to cover both sides of the doors while he crouched behind a makeshift barricade. Once everyone was in place, he hit the remote switch for the door and it slid open effortlessly.

Almost immediately a mass of bullets prevented them from making any headway into the area beyond, for a YMIR mech was in the middle of dispatching its intended targets. Shepard let his head peek out from cover as he saw that the enormous mech was rotating in all directions as it worked to rid itself of the pests in its midst. Oddly enough, there did not seem to be any parameters by which this mech was set in that it callously fired upon anything in sight. Quarians and humans fell in heaps as the rest worked to disable the giant metal machine.

Eventually, a yellow armored human stepped forth with a shotgun and moved into the killzone. The mech turned to face this man but he ran diagonally to its motions. Once he was within striking distance, the mech had been too slow to target, and the man raised his gun up and fired once, shattering the head and raining plastic and metal on the ground as the stump sparked a few times.

Shepard and his cohorts still hadn't been noticed yet, and the remaining Cerberus forces weren't entirely on the lookout for reinforcements as they worked to silence the still writhing bodies of quarians that lay from the YMIR's rampage. Shepard fumed as he vaulted over the flimsy sheet metal as he quietly walked to the man who was supposed to be on the lookout but was watching his comrades calmly in their revelry. He only had time to hear the faint electronic click before the tip of the omni-blade speared through his throat, severing the spine and causing instantaneous death.

Shepard let the body fall with a noisy _thump_. The sound caused the remaining four humans to turn and see the black armored man standing over one of their own, right hand dripping blood. There was nothing else to say as Shepard's arms came up, rifle in hand, and casually fired. A man's face disappared from the bullet's impact as pieces of his skull shattered and broke. Alerted now, the two soldiers standing on opposite sides of the yard now turned their weapons on the commander.

On cue, a huge piece of debris suddenly came out of nowhere, a faint purple aura surrounding it, and completely flattened a man with a noisy _crunch_. Kaidan's timing was impeccable. The final soldier's mouth was agape until a shot from Garrus' sniper rifle removed his head above the jaw, a wet _splash _accompanying the fallen remains of the head, the exposed windpipe let out a _sigh_ as the remaining air escaped the formerly living man's lungs.

The yellow armored man had shied behind a pillar once the firing had started anew. Shepard was closest so he made to flank him. However, he had positioned himself too close to the other man's cover and was therefore vulnerable when a hand shot out and shoved the barrel of his rifle down. Surprised, Shepard was unprepared for the man to smash a fist into the side of his helmet. He took the blow in stride as his cheek flared uncomfortably, but was still incensed.

Shepard took a few paces backwards so that they were no longer within striking distance, which was exactly what his enemy was looking for. Snatching up a pistol from his side, he started to unload on the commander, whose shields were starting to fall rapidly. With a static flare and a smell of ozone, his shields abruptly dropped as they were overwhelmed. That had never happened to him before. He had gotten sloppy, giving up such a valuable tactical advantage, that he had walked into this encounter all cocky and arrogant.

The human's gun bloomed and Shepard felt a small twinge as his shoulder was knocked back. The armor stopped the bullet but it felt like someone had leveled a brick at his side. This was getting serious. Before the man could reload, Shepard lashed out and the gun was knocked out of his grip. Now the man was retreating as he nursed his wounded hand. He was rather ugly, his armor had a distinct black pattern on top of the rusty yellow hue and he had an enormous scar down the right side of his face. A grey eye peered lifelessly at him and Shepard could surmise that the eye and the scar were obtained in similar circumstances.

"Burn, you son of a bitch," the man rasped in a rough accent. He lifted his left hand and a tube near his wrist spouted a long gout of flame. Shepard leaped to the side as the flamethrower scorched the spot he had just been standing. The flame died out as the limited tank clicked on empty. Swearing, the man groped for a knife just as Shepard had engaged his omni-blade.

Steel clashed with energy as the two sent sparks in the air. Shepard gave a few strokes to the man's weak side but he managed to parry them effectively. A backslash to the face caused the commander to throw his arm up as the blade almost made contact with his helmet.

The man was clearly a professional but he couldn't help but feel that this wasn't a regular Cerberus agent. For one, there were no logos anywhere on his armor, a feature that went somewhat religiously within that organization. Also, his choice of armaments went outside the regular range that the footsoldiers had, they looked to be all custom made.

So, the man was a mercenary, and a good one at that. Had Cerberus become so desperate that they had started to hire outside help?

With a guttural yell, the merc leaped to deliver a high slash but Shepard dodged. In the corner of his eye, he could see Garrus and Kaidan hovering in the background, waiting for a clear shot. Boots scraped across the patchy ground, sending up small clouds of dust as the two continued to clash. Both remained fresh and full of energy, the adrenaline from combat peaking their abilities.

The man shoved and Shepard tripped over the body of a feebly stirring quarian, landing on his back. He rolled over before a knife could be embedded in his chest (provided it got past his metal frame) and briefly glimpsed a huddled form of another quarian in the corner, this one curled up and unhurt.

He jumped to his feet and caught the next blow on the fly, grasping the man's wrist and constricting, his grip crushing it, causing him to drop the knife. The merc yelled in pain as Shepard started to pummel his chest with his free hand, hearing the cracking of ribs with every blow. He didn't want to kill him yet...he wanted to make it _hurt _first.

The man spluttered a wet cough and sank to his knees, out of the fight. Shepard reached for the dropped knife, taking a moment to admire the sharpness and the detail on it. It was a knife fit for a warrior. The lone grey eye fixed him with a stare of pure damnation. He didn't care, he had already been to such a place. Not even bothering to quip, he raised his arm and brought the knife down to the hilt on the top of the merc's head. Blood spurted once and then just leaked as the man sat frozen in place. Barely brushing the man's chest with his foot, the man toppled over and lay there as his life oozed from the wound, starting to drip in fat beads.

Seeing that their commander had prevailed, Garrus and Kaidan began to sweep the area for any more enemies, both moving off in one direction. Shepard brushed himself off as he looked around, momentarily entranced by the lull in action. He flexed his fingers as he felt his skin stretch, a little stiff but otherwise intact.

He walked over to the structure on the opposite side of where Garrus and Kaidan were scouting, looking for anything that would provide a clue as to what attracted Cerberus here. Shepard found a monitor and was in the process of booting it up when someone stood up from behind the couch where they were hiding, shotgun in two hands.

Shepard turned and his hand twitched towards his pistol only for it to freeze in place as he saw who was walking towards him.

_Un...believable…_

Tali'Zorah vas Rayya was cautiously walking towards him but her shotgun had moved away from his body when she saw the Alliance insignia. Her stance was tentative but he could still tell that she was relieved. Her appearance was largely unchanged from the near two weeks that they hadn't seen each other, which didn't prevent her from looking any less striking. She still clung to her fierce determination despite the fact that she was still filled with wonderment at what the galaxy had to offer.

"Thank…" she started to stammer, "Thank you for...for the help, soldier. I would be dead if...if you hadn't shown up...thank you…"

_Ah_. His helmet was preventing any recognition. It was not like he wanted it to keep his identity a secret this time so he slowly moved to pry it off, unable to hide his grin as he spoke, "How is it that every time we meet, Tali, that I end up saving your life?" His head free, she was now able to look upon him as she had once did, all those months ago, _whole _again.

The shotgun dropped to the floor with a clatter as Tali lost all feeling in her limbs. "_Shepard_!" she shouted gleefully and soon he found himself wrapped in the quarian's wild hug, numbly returning the gesture as she buried her head against his chestplate. Her fingers found his face and they gently smoothed over it. "Your...your _face_," she whispered in awe as she pulled back, "It…It..."

Shepard lightly took the hand that was testing his skin in his own and smiled, "Didn't I tell you that I was going to fix this?"

Tali trembled in his grip, "Oh, Keelah...I _did _but...I just didn't think I would see you like this for a long time. It's just that…"

"Well," Shepard shrugged, "Better looking than before, I would imagine?"

"Definitely," she blurted before jumping, "Oh wait, I didn't mean for it to sound like _that_. It...I...I only meant that I prefer…"

Shepard laughed, "_Relax_, Tali, I know what you mean. _I_ prefer my look now than my old one. Despite the fact I still have my...upgrades." He waggled his fingers to make a point, the brief scrape of joints still barely noticeable.

At this she relaxed, "It feels _real_...it…" She shook her head as she hugged him once more, "It's just so good to see you..._normal_ again!"

"Trust me, I probably feel even better than you do at my appearance. But it's great to see you too. Although I do have to apologize about not getting back to you for so long."

"Yes," she replied in a mock tone of condescending, "What was the reasoning behind _that_?"

"Ah, they took away my extranet access. I couldn't contact you even though I sincerely wanted to."

"Oh, I didn't think of that. _Keelah_, that makes sense." Her head tilted up slyly, "But how badly _did _you want to talk to me?"

Shepard smiled, "Quite badly. But I have to ask before the thought escapes me, what were you doing here in the first place? I actually wasn't expecting to find anyone here, much less any other humans, or a _friend_."

The quarian dipped her head, gesturing around her, "We had received a distress call from here. One of my people was here on his Pilgrimage, a young man named Veetor."

"Kind of odd that he would have picked such a backwater colony for his Pilgrimage."

"He was always nervous in crowded areas. I think he felt that he would have been more successful here."

Shepard frowned, "'Would have?'"

Tali stiffened, "Cerberus got to him before we did. They wanted to see if he had any information on the colony but he hacked the mechs to keep them away. They thought that killing him would stop the attack but it was too late. We weren't expecting anyone to be shooting at us when we landed and were...we were unprepared. I think I'm the only survivor."

She was starting to sway as she spoke and Shepard wrapped an arm around her for assurance, "I'm sorry, Tali. Come here." She willingly went into the embrace and relaxed as he held her. With what must have been an enormous feat, she broke away after half a minute.

"I...I didn't want to have to put my problems on you, Shepard…"

"You didn't. Cerberus did." He put a hand on her shoulder as he calmed her, "You know what I would do for a crewmember, for a friend. I'm not going to let anything happen to them if I can help it."

"You do seem to have a habit of getting yourself involved in other peoples' problems anyway, Shepard."

"You see? What other answer am I supposed to give? I help people, it's what I do." He spread his arms wide in a dramatic fashion, "I also recall that I made a promise to come and get you and I intend to keep that promise. We can send for someone to collect the fallen for later." He gave a warm smile, "In all honesty, I _want_ you to come along with us. I want the best technician in the galaxy by my side. I want my friend with me."

_By his side_. "How badly do you want me to go with you?" she asked facetiously.

"_Quite_ badly," he asserted.

Tali giggled, barely able to contain herself in her joy, "Then what are we waiting for?" She started to move to the door, Shepard behind her when she suddenly turned around, "I almost forgot, in true quarian fashion, it's customary for us to give a gift to our new captain."

Shepard stopped, surprised, "Tali, we know each other already," he held up a hand, "There's no need for you to give me a gift when _you_ are all I want."

_Do you even know what you just said?_ The voice in his head chastised.

_Does he even know what he just said?_ Tali thought, cautiously optimistic.

Both shaking the moment off, Tali merely brought up her omni-tool as she spoke, "I think, Shepard, that you would want to see what we found here."

Shepard peered down to see what she was referring to. The video that was playing was grainy and in a sepia tone. It was hard to discern the images on screen as it looked like it had been hastily edited together but the contents made Shepard's eyes widen regardless as the images clicked in his brain.

Looking up, he glanced at Tali, who had to be smiling in triumph under that visor, "You ready to leave now?"

She nodded, "At any time."

* * *

_**A/N: Uploaded on company time, so technically I'm getting paid for this. (Heh...heh)**_

_**At this rate, I may be able to make my deadline for finishing this part by the end of the month. Fingers crossed, though!**_


	15. Chapter 3: Not One for Pleasantries

The blue-tinted holograms of Hackett and Anderson slightly wavered as they watched the video intensely. Shepard's entire squad was also looking at the images that Tali had procured from Freedom's Progress, studying it with rapt attention. Joker looked disgusted (the ship was in the middle of a relay jump), Garrus appeared slightly perturbed, Kaidan was captivated, and Tali was rocking back and forth with anxiety.

It only lasted a few seconds, but that was enough for all of them. On the screen, tall, bipedal aliens were walking around the frozen forms of colonists, packaging them into strange-looking pods as they calmly had the run of the place. Shepard leaned forward, trying to discern the pixelated figures as they appeared in front of them before he finally put two and two together.

Hackett slowly shook his head as he spoke, voice tinged with an electronic reverb, "Well, commander, it's more than we had a week ago and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I wasn't surprised."

Shepard stood to address the admiral, "You and me both, sir. Why would the Collectors take an interest in abducting our colonists?"

The Collectors were an enigmatic race of aliens that were very solitary compared to their galactic peers. Insectoid with brown, mottled skin, the majority of the population would be hard pressed to get a glimpse of one, even today. Shepard knew that they were a very technologically advanced race and that they resided somewhere beyond the Omega 4 relay, a gateway that had proved to be impossible to traverse. No one who had ever gone through that relay had returned before, but the Collectors did.

But this didn't make any sense. The Collectors only came from their homeworld to collect seemingly unimportant items or people in small batches. The colonies that had been hit numbered in the hundreds with the people taken numbering in the millions so far. What was going on through there?

"I don't know, Shepard," Anderson shook his head, "This is more complex than I originally thought. And with Cerberus taking an interest in this then that means there is more at stake than we know. How the hell did _they_ get tipped off about the colony?"

"About a million people on that planet," Garrus offered, "Odds are that _someone_ called them."

"For what it's worth," Hackett resumed, "It means that thanks to the timely intervention of your team and Tali'Zorah, we have the advantage on Cerberus for the moment."

Tali nodded gratefully and Shepard continued, "As it is, I doubt that Cerberus will stay in the dark for long. I know how resourceful they are. What we need to do is make sure that we stay on top at all costs while trying to intercept the Collectors at every turn."

"It's a war on several different fronts," Anderson cautioned, "We're going up against two separate groups that are trying to thwart us whenever they can."

"We can do it sir, you can count on us."

"We still need to figure out exactly what the Collectors are up to," Hackett pointed out, "But we can't speculate on that at the moment due to an insufficient amount of intel. But what I'd like to know is how they are able to simply paralyze our colonists like that." The video on the screen skipped forward a few seconds the point that he was referring to, when a lone Collector walked past a human frozen in mid-stride.

Kaidan walked up and moved the image back a few frames, indicating a hazy cloud in the upper right hand portion of the screen. "Look at that, there seems to be some kind of…_swarm_ over there. Looks like bugs, but we never saw anything like that back at the colony."

"No," Shepard agreed, "We didn't."

"You mean something like this?" Tali's voice came through and Shepard turned to find her holding up a small glass cylinder, with what appeared to be an enormous, four-winged bug. It buzzed angrily against the glass as its four pointy legs twitched maddeningly.

Garrus recoiled at the sight, "How the-… When the _hell_ did you pick that up?"

"Found it on one of the spare mechs and thought it looked odd, so I captured it."

Shepard walked over and gently took the cylinder from Tali, who released it. He held it up to the light as he inspected its contents. "Fascinating. You are just full of surprises today, Tali."

Perhaps it was a good thing that she wore the visor otherwise everyone could have seen her blushing. Shepard turned back to the holograms, bug in tow. "You think something like this could have the capability to paralyze a human?"

Anderson shrugged, "We know so very little about our _own_ planet, let alone the galaxy's indigenous life forms. I wouldn't be surprised if that thing contains a poisonous compound capable of total body paralysis."

"If the Collectors can weaponize this, then that means we could be vulnerable if we happen to run into each other."

"And we don't want that to happen. What you need is someone who can construct an antidote quickly and has tremendous expertise in that field."

"Well," Shepard sighed, "I don't think anyone on this ship has gotten qualified for that in the months that I've been dead. Do you happen to know anyone who can do something like that?"

"Not off the top of my head. I'll get in touch with the other councilors, see what they know. I've heard STG has a wealth of operatives like that around so I'd wager on a salarian joining up."

"I'll take anyone," Shepard shrugged, "As long as they're qualified."

"You've done well so far, Shepard," Anderson smiled, "One mission in and you've already made tremendous headway into an investigation that has been stalled for a while now."

"What can I say? It's good to be back."

"I have no doubt of that. Sit tight for a bit, Shepard, while I grab some information. I'll try to have a few dossiers on potential scientists by tonight. In the meantime, study what you can from the rest of the footage and try to come up with your own conclusions. We'll figure this thing out, make no mistake."

"Aye-aye, sir," Shepard saluted. The three of them acknowledged the ending of their meeting and the blue light faded from the room, causing the atmospheric lights to warm up and create a healthy yellow glow again. Shepard turned on his heel at the four people sitting in front of him and said clearly, "Dismissed."

Taking the cue, all of them shuffled off to their stations or to where they couldn't cause any trouble on board the clunky vessel. As the last to leave, Shepard took the proper housekeeping duties and powered down all of the non-essential equipment before walking over to his bunk.

It had been a crazy day so far. A light rest would do him some good.

* * *

A few hours later he found himself in front of his desk, poring over the few files that Anderson had sent him, having procured them in a short amount of time. He sipped the dregs of what passed for coffee on board the ship, the contents cold and gritty. He didn't care, anything that would give him an extra energy boost was welcome in his system. Just because he was mostly metal did not mean that he didn't suffer the same shortcomings as the rest of the people on this ship.

There were five people overall that Anderson had recommended. Three of them were drawn from the standard drawing of Alliance techs, good, dependable people. But these were hopelessly green, neither one of them had been close to actual combat, enabling them to think on their feet. That wouldn't do, he would need someone who was a bit more inventive.

Shepard noted that the turian councilor had forwarded a candidate for one of his scientists back on Palaven. The only problem with that, dictated by Anderson's notes in the corner, was that this man had been suspected as a spy for the current Primarch. Having him on board would make him more of a liability than an actual asset if he couldn't trust him.

The final one, and Anderson's personal pick, was a salarian geneticist named Mordin Solus. Shepard scanned the thick dossier and was summarily impressed. Formerly STG, he had participated in a modification of the original genophage strain for the krogan people, the one that was responsible for dampening the krogan's original rate of population growth. In the last few years, Mordin had participated in several campaigns on Tuchanka, and (to Shepard's pleasant surprise) Virmire.

Seeing as he was no longer in STG, the salarian had no ties to any of the politicking scoundrels in the higher-ups of his race. He was a sure-fired, quick thinker that was a capable combatant and an expert in the field that was of great importance to him, Shepard's mind was set from the first paragraph.

Conveniently, Solus' last known location was on Omega, where current reports placed him running a simple clinic, only a few hours' jump away. Most likely the man's own way of staying close to the job he loved. Shepard snapped open the comm between him and Joker and ordered the man to set a course for the station, to which the pilot instantly complied.

He sat back in his chair and rubbed his temples in thought. He held no love for Omega, this was certain, considering the mistakes he had made there in the past. He recalled the coppery scent of blood in the air as a man, bound, sat before him. He remembered how flesh parted easily with every stroke of the knife as the Cerberus soldier screamed.

How he had enjoyed taking that man apart, listening to his wet gurgles, his sobs, his cries. It had been such a satisfying moment for him when he saw the fear grip the man at his fearsome sight and his inevitable scream. How _alive_ he had felt in those precious seconds.

But when he had left that room, something had changed in him. It was as if a piece of him had been left behind, he felt uncomfortable, hollow. Shepard remembered himself shaking in shame as he headed back to his ship, feeling cold even when the station was comfortably warm. That was the one moment in which he knew he had to turn around, to bring about a change. How ironic that such a horrible act had founded an idea of utmost clarity. He truly wondered if it was a price that had been paid in full.

A quiet knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts and he sat up, startled. "Come in," he managed, the door opening at his words.

"Shepard?" A smooth voice came through as Tali walked into view, "I…I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Pausing for a moment, Shepard shook his head, "No, Tali. You're not. What can I do for you?"

She moved over to the chair opposite the tiny desk, "I was just wondering if you had a moment to talk, is all. I can come back if-"

Shepard pressed a button on his monitor, the screen winking to black, "Of course, Tali. I can talk." He folded his hands in front of him, giving her his utmost attention as she sat down.

"It's just that…" she sounded nervous, faltering slightly, "I wanted to see how you were doing. Joker told me you were up and…well, it's been so long since we talked and-"

Shepard slowly put his hand over her veiled one as it lay on the table, giving it a gentle squeeze and momentarily silencing her as she struggled to find the words. "I'm doing a lot better, Tali," he smiled. "I think it has to do with the people around me who have been very helpful and understanding through this whole ordeal."

"I- I'm just glad I could help," Tali laughed weakly.

"Well, it's an improvement from telling me to 'go to hell' to my face. At least, I think that was the correct expression."

"Oh no," she moaned, covering her face with her hands, "I still can't believe that I said that to you. I was-… I had no-… you just caught me by surprise."

"I'm only teasing, Tali," Shepard widely grinned, "I did kind of put you there on the spot there when I walked up to you like that."

"_Bosh'tet_," she lightly swatted his arm, "I can't believe you're making _jokes_ about that already."

"Looking on the funny side of things helps with the coping a lot."

"I've never really known you to have a sense of humor."

"It's there," he flashed a wicked smile, "When no one's shooting at me and the situation is appropriate, I can get a little aloof sometimes." He leaned in slightly, voice low but playful, "Don't tell anyone, though."

"I won't," she whispered just as intensely, which gave her a little thrill that Shepard was confiding in her. She wanted this moment to last as long as possible, the both of them just sitting and talking. There was a warmth here that she had not felt in a long time, and she knew who was responsible for _that_.

"You know," she continued in her sly tone, "You kind of lied to me."

His eyebrows arched in confusion, "I did? When?"

"Back on the Normandy, you told me that you would be right out after you got Joker."

There was a ghost of a smile upon his face, "I suppose I did…" His voice trailed off as his face turned blank, memories of heat and wreckage flaring inside his mind.

"I'm not trying to give you a hard time," Tali said quickly, alarmed at Shepard's transformation, "I just…seeing as we were having this kind of tone-"

"It's all right, I know you were just being lighthearted. But you have to believe me that I _tried_ to get to safety that day, Tali. There was no reason for me not to go."

"I heard it from Joker. He kept on saying that you tried to make it, but _couldn't_."

There was a brief shrug, "I was the commander of the Normandy. I had to make sure that every single one of my crew was safely away. Captain goes down with the ship, right?"

"I think any one of us would have traded our life for _yours_, Shepard."

"That's sweet of you to say, Tali, but that's how the chain of command works. I'd imagine that if any of you tried to pull that stunt with me I'd have to step in and take that blow myself."

"Well, you _already_ did that. You've used up your one life, Shepard. Don't think that you're going to achieve martyrdom so easily."

He laughed, "I can't really fault your logic there, Miss Zorah."

Tali started to draw back as her head shook slightly, "I'm sorry for sounding like that. When…when you were gone I- I didn't know what to…what I felt at the time…"

What was it about this woman that made her adorable every time she tried to apologize for the most trivial of things? He scooted his chair over as he wrapped an arm around her, to prevent her sniffing from becoming more intense. He was throwing caution to the winds at this point but sooner or later, caution had to be kicked aside for emotion.

"I know how you must feel, Tali," he soothed, "Garrus said that you took everything the hardest when…when I died. I had it rough too, you know. Over the past month I've woken up into a galaxy that I thought had forgotten me. So imagine, contrary to any stupid notions I held at the time, that the people I fought with, my dearest friends, had not forgotten, that they wanted me back with them. That they accepted me for who I was and not how I looked. Err..._eventually_, at least."

He closed his eyes as he remembered their transition from shock into incredulous delight as he tightened his one-armed hug, his other fist clenching "I can only imagine how they felt, how _you_ felt, staring at my hideous self for that one time."

She said nothing and Shepard looked over at her, "Can you tell me what's troubling you? You're part of my crew and you always will be. It's my job to see to it that everyone is doing all right, you know."

"I…" she tried, her voice sounding ragged, "I wouldn't know where to _start_. I don't know what you would have to say."

"Try me."

She sighed and slowly extricated herself from the hug, "Maybe later, it isn't important."

"You can tell me whenever you feel comfortable, Tali," he assured, "I'm always open to any discussion from anyone." He frowned for a second, "Except for that one time that Joker asked me if it was alright to use the Normandy's extranet access to pirate some illicit videos. I couldn't even hold a straight face, telling him no."

Tali giggled but sat up and snapped her fingers, "That's precisely it. I just feel so _overwhelmed_ at the moment. In just a short amount of time, I learn that you're _alive_ then now I'm back serving with you again and I'm carrying on a casual conversation at this very moment. It's as if nothing's changed." Her voice was becoming stronger now, "I mean, could you imagine what that was like? I go from a scared kid on the streets of the Citadel to suddenly serving in the most advanced ship in the galaxy. Only because I gave you a bit of information and you let me come along. I _idolized_ you for weeks, Shepard. I thought that you were this wonderful, amazing person who had no reason to treat me with such kindness, to give me the opportunity of a lifetime. And one day, you're out of my life."

"'Thought?'" Shepard asked mockingly.

"That's not what I meant," she said defensively, suddenly regretful from opening up like that, feeling embarrassed.

Shepard nodded, "I know. That's why I kept checking up on you in the engineering bay for the first few weeks. I wanted to see how you were adjusting and if you were coping well to the new environment. I am truly sorry if my being gone put you through that much hurt. Maybe…maybe if I'd known beforehand, I could have done more."

"There's nothing to apologize about," she whispered, "But, as you said, you only visited me for those first few weeks to see how I was doing. What warranted your visits for the _subsequent_ weeks?"

"Truth was, I just liked talking to you."

That made Tali's heart do a rapid _pit-a-pat_. Her pulse was racing as she fumbled her words in her head. "You…you weren't just humoring me?"

"Why would I do that? I genuinely found it interesting when we talked."

Her hands were slowly coming together as they began to knot in her nervousness, hidden underneath the table. "I…I'm finding it interesting _now_."

"That's kind of what I'm going for. I don't want it to seem like anything is different among us."

"But does it feel the same? To you, I mean?"

Shepard's jaw was set, his eyes remorseful as the flesh conveyed the proper emotions, the nerves doing their work properly. "Not entirely," he conceded, laying out his hand for additional support, to which Tali granted with her own petite appendage. She noted how much his hand felt like an actual hand, she could feel its warmth through her suit, "No reason why I can't try to make it feel the same, right?"

"No. No reason at all."

He now clutched her hand with both of his in a firm shake, "Thank you, Tali."

"_Arriving at Omega in half an hour, Shepard_," Joker's voice burst through the comm.

"Thanks, Joker," he replied before turning back to Tali. "Grab your shotgun and your gear and be ready to move out."

"What? I- I mean-"

Shepard shrugged, "You're part of my squad again, Tali. Although, if you want to stay behind while Garrus and I get the good doctor, you can. I'll ask Adams to-"

"No!" she blurted before stopping in place, "Sorry. I was just startled that you would want me on your team so soon. I thought that you would have gone for someone else instead of me."

"And why not? I thought that we always made an excellent team."

He was giving that smile, that damnable smile. How could she possibly refuse a request from him when that familiar, welcome smile was on his face? It was as if he was deliberately teasing her.

"You really _do_ want things back the way they were, don't you?"

"Not entirely," he said cryptically, "But does that mean you want to come?"

"_Yes_! I mean, of course," she started to back towards the door, feet briefly tripping over each other in her haste. Before she was fully out of sight, she peeked back in for one last moment, "I'm…I'm glad we…we had this chance…to talk, I mean."

As Shepard opened his mouth to voice his mutual feeling, Tali had skirted away, outside of his view. He sighed as the opportunity was lost on him, slumping in his chair, feeling it hiss as all two hundred twenty pounds of him were applied on the headrest. He placed his hands behind his head as the chair allowed him to lean back slightly, to let him drink in the lull in the ship.

He chuckled to the empty room, somewhat disappointed, "She still didn't call you '_John,' _there…"

* * *

As soon as he stepped out the door, Shepard immediately regretted not bringing his helmet. The musky scent of Omega, dank and rusty, filled the air and his throat, making him cough suddenly. Garrus also wrinkled his nose and cleared his throat in disgust. Tali, on the other hand, was unfazed and looked at the both of them with incredulity.

"You both said that you have been to Omega before so why didn't you think to bring your helmets along?"

They were walking past Afterlife, letting the coppery light stream down from the mines above as Shepard struggled to breathe, "I _had_ a helmet most of the time I was here. I'm just sick of having to cover myself up all the time."

"And I just forgot mine," Garrus said sheepishly, "Stupid mistake, considering that I was here longer."

Shepard rubbed his cheek, "I just can't stand wearing a covering all the damn time. It makes me feel-" His face fell as he realized what he said, turning to the side and facing the quarian behind him, "I'm sorry, Tali. I wasn't thinking-"

"No, no," she shook her head, "It- it's fine. I know the feeling too, Shepard."

Embarrassed, they continued on to where Mordin's last known location was positioned. They had to pass through a few doors connecting one neighborhood to another, waiting for the rotting barriers to properly cycle and let them through. If he wasn't worried about potentially getting fined for property damage, Shepard was very close to simply smashing through them with his leg. Thankfully, the waiting was enough that it didn't fully grate on his patience…yet.

The map told them to hang a right and they approached yet another door that led to another neighborhood, the sign reading "Shenzou" above. Shepard turned to Garrus for an inquiry.

"You know anything about this district?"

"Only that it is the border between the Blue Suns and the Blood Pack territory. I've gotten embroiled in a few gang fights here from time to time."

"Despite the ruckus that we caused over the docks?"

"Gang succession is simple," Garrus pointed out, "We may have killed their leader in the area but someone else surely took his place. Happens all the time but each subsequent leader is weaker than the last until eventually the gang dissolves. Had that happen a few times when I was hunting some Talons near the refinery…"

"Wait," Tali stepped in, "'Ruckus?' 'Docks?' Do I want to know what kind of trouble you two caused here?"

"Oh absolutely," Garrus smiled, "It involved several explosions, a sniper's nest, a gunship, plus some-"

"That was rhetorical, Garrus," she sighed.

By this point, they had entered the district and were cautiously stepping through the dusty air, particles drifting lazily with no discernable direction. The reddish glow gave an eerie quality to the area as they moved along, glowing neon signs casting shadows every which way.

"Rather quiet," Shepard noted, looking around for any signs of life.

"Staple of the territory," Garrus explained, "No one wants to get caught in any crossfire."

"I can't see why anyone would want to live in a place like this," Tali mused.

Shepard grimaced, "I don't think they had any choice."

They were approaching a rather large barricade which was manned at the moment in the middle of the street. Three mercenaries were perched on top of it and a turian, donned in the blue and white armor of the Blue Suns stepped out from behind it and held up a hand, the other holding a Vindicator rifle, "That's close enough, fellas."

Shepard and the others complied, arms at their sides in a gesture of cooperation. The turian stepped up to appraise them as he gripped his rifle at the ready, "Why are you here?"

Shepard's chin was set, "We're here to see Mordin Solus. We're only looking for access to the clinic."

The turian shook his head, "Not without paying the toll, you're not."

"Is this really necessary?"

"Damn right it is. It's a thousand credits to be allowed to move freely though our turf."

"A thousand credits? That's not a toll, that's extortion."

"That's the going rate," the turian growled, lifting his scratched gun menacingly, "And for your stubbornness, the toll just increased to five thousand credits." He now pointed the rifle at Shepard's chest, "Each."

Shepard gave a laugh in disbelief, "And what makes you think that we can afford to pay that rate?"

"You lot look well equipped at the moment. Some of those weapons on you don't come cheap, which tells me that you can afford it."

Shepard glanced at Garrus and Tali, who didn't protest but he could tell that they were annoyed at the interruption and the turian's rude behavior. They didn't have much choice at the moment so Shepard booted up his omni-tool for a direct transfer as the mercenary gloated.

"Wise move. For your attitude and for bringing a suit-rat along, we could have increased the percentage by a lot more. You should be thanking us instead of having that look of disgust on your face."

If Shepard had been trying to mask his displeasure, he made no such attempt now as his finger froze above his tool, "Don't use that word again. Ever."

"What?" the turian's mandibles quivered in confusion, "Which one?"

"You know the one I'm talking about."

"You mean 'suit-rat?' Oh, come on, you can't possibly mean-"

Whatever Shepard could possibly mean was never properly made apparent to the turian as the omni-blade shot out of Shepard's wrist in less than a second, burying itself in the turian's chest. The armor offered no protection as the blade cleaved the alien's heart in two, causing him to briefly retch blue blood before death could take hold. Luckily, Garrus and Tali were quick studies, guns already in hand before the turian's body could fall to the floor. The mercs on the barricade stood shocked as bullets started to plow into them, two of them falling from the barrage that had materialized.

Shepard was running around the barricade, pistol blazing, as he bounded past the Blue Suns' cover. The men huddled behind there had little chance to react as Shepard methodically and precisely disposed of each one with a clean shot to the head. Any recurring fire was too weak to pierce his shields as static enveloped him, reminding him of his unseen fortune.

A merc, not wanting to face the crazy human, jumped over the barrier and ran towards Garrus instead, who was positioned behind a pillar, in the middle of reloading.

"To the left!" Shepard called out, and Garrus promptly turned to see a crazed turian charge, knife in hand, directly towards him. Garrus, on the other hand, grinned and maneuvered into his enemy's instep, causing him to halt his assault unceremoniously. Garrus ducked a wild swing and took the opportunity to draw his own knife from his belt, quickly slashing across the man's chest. The armor blocked the blow but the blue and white paint was now scratched as the metal bit into the material.

Desperation flooding the merc, he began swinging wildly, but Garrus backed up a step for each attack. He could hear the turian panting from underneath the helmet, his offensive maneuvers quickly tiring him. As the mercenary raised his arm once again, Garrus gave a solid punch to the stomach, throwing off the man's balance and causing him to stagger backwards. A series of quick jabs and punches to the chest and neck pushed him back further, causing him to switch to the defensive.

However, the turian swung and almost connected with Garrus' face, causing him to trip over his own feet in a hasty retreat, sending him to the ground. The merc seemed stunned as much as Garrus at how the odds were now stacked in his favor and he stayed frozen in place. That amount of time was enough for Tali, who had been steadily firing at the Blue Suns the whole time, to casually turn and put a round into the turian's foot, blowing it clean off, creating a small splatter on the ground.

As the man started to fall, Garrus sprung to his feet and scythed his blade through the air, feeling it part flesh and sinew, blood spouting into the air. The half-decapitated turian collapsed and Garrus moved away to avoid stepping his boots in the puddle of blue blood that was expanding rapidly. Shepard saw his friend give a quick nod as he struggled to get his breath back, worn out.

The rest of the Blue Suns in the district had been attracted by the gunfire and had come running at the source of the noise. This was only impeding Shepard's progress. There were too many for a direct assault which meant that they were going to have to pick them off one at a time. This was a delay that they had hoped to avoid.

Suddenly, louder _thumps_ were coming from further away, nearer to the Suns' lines but not directed towards Shepard. He peeked around the corner to see several blue forms fall as rounds were impacting into their backs. They were crying out in surprise as they whirled to face this new threat. They trained their weapons on their new assailants rather than Shepard and his squad.

A krogan burst out of a cloud of smoke and charged into the nearest mercenary, wearing the dark red and maroon colors of the Blood Pack. Behind him, several vorcha screeched and roared, veins popping all over their bodies, using flamethrowers to part the platoon ahead of them.

"Looks like the Pack is making a push into the Suns' territory," Garrus breathed.

"Well," Tali panted, "That's convenient for us, I guess."

"My thoughts exactly," Shepard nodded, "Stick to cover and don't draw attention to yourself unless it's absolutely necessary."

With that in mind, the trio sidled around the corner, hugging the wall, as they crouch-walked to the rear of the courtyard. From there, they could see that the already weakened Suns' were getting overwhelmed by the Blood Pack as the _whoosh_ of flamethrowers set them ablaze, if they weren't getting crushed into paste by a charging krogan.

The team had their weapons ready but they weren't spotted as the Pack was too busy eliminating their rivals to focus on anything else. The door nearest to them opened, revealing a staircase going down and they hustled through, eager to break away from the situation that had gone belly-up above them.

As they took a right, they could see the glowing white plus sign of a clinic in the distance. Not daring to believe their luck, they broke off at a brisk jog down the hallway, cautious at whatever danger lurked in the shadows. They soon found themselves in front of a clearance checkpoint, in which the guard requested, not a toll, but for their weapons to be holstered. This was a clinic after all and the rules actually made a lick of sense so they had no argument to voice.

A pair of LOKI mechs patrolled the area on the other side (causing a smirk from Shepard) and they were pointed to Mordin's room by a helpful clerk. Shepard found Dr. Solus to be a particularly energetic salarian, red and white skinned and missing one his right cranial horn, a token from a prior campaign.

Mordin was particularly intrigued when they stepped into his office, running a quick scan over them with his omni-tool, "Don't remember seeing you in this area. Seem to well equipped to be mercs. Wearing N7 armor, I see, but accompanied by turian and quarian. Hmm, rules out Cerberus, perhaps-"

"Relax, doctor," Shepard interrupted gently, easing the doctor down from his habit of thinking out loud, "I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance. I was told that you would be here."

"Shepard?" the salarian put a hand on his chin, "Commander Shepard the Spectre? Heard rumors that you had returned but never thought you would come here so soon."

"I'm here because I need your help. I'm on a mission to take down the Collectors and my team needs someone with your expertise."

Mordin blinked, "Interesting goal. May I ask why to the purpose of this mission?"

"The Collectors have been abducting human colonies. I need you to help us create a counter-measure for one of their weapons."

"Seeker swarms?"

Shepard nodded in surprise, "Yes. Exactly."

The salarian smiled sagely, "Have heard about the capabilities of Collectors from STG reports. Never had a chance to examine technology personally, however."

"Does that mean you'll come with us?"

Mordin smiled, "You know, already helped out greatly today. Doesn't appear to be any more use for me here."

"Oh? How so?"

"You killing Blue Suns, of course. By initiating skirmish, you gave Blood Pack motivation to try and seize new territory. While they were distracted, their foothold in crucial part of their territory was left undefended. Sent security troopers to take it back, ventilation unit. Now in safe hands."

Mordin brought up a file on his monitor that adorned his desk, "Vorcha were planning plague, you see. For complete control of district. Needed area for wide dispersal. Now, can have cure ready at moment's notice if they try to release. Already synthesized. Then kill them."

"Then, you're welcome, I guess."

"Clinic was good investment," Mordin sighed, "But wanted to get back in field since."

"You sure it's all right if you can just leave it behind?" As much as Shepard needed Mordin, he was apprehensive about the idea of a good doctor leaving people to fend for themselves medically.

"Yes, yes," Mordin assured, "Assistant, Daniel, can take over. Bright kid, very good. More than capable of handling clinic."

That was a relief to Shepard, who breathed out slowly, "That's great to hear."

"He'll do just fine. Although, am eager to begin. Clinic bit mundane than imagined, always desired more challenging projects, personally."

"You should be just comfortable by what's at stake, then. But I will warn you, it could be dangerous."

"Have faced danger before," the salarian shrugged, "Nothing haven't experienced before."

"Then welcome aboard," Shepard held out his hand, to which Mordin grasped in a surprisingly firm shake, "We have a sample and some equipment already on board. You can get started whenever you like."

"Most interesting. Would never have guessed to be serving on _human_ ship before. Life truly full of surprises."

* * *

The trek back to the ship was less action-packed than their original excursion. Rather than have to face a horde of angry mercenaries this time around, they only had to step over the scores of bodies that lined the streets as Blue Suns and Blood Pack lay intermingled. Guess no one had bothered on cleanup duty yet.

Mordin explained that eventually the bodies would be gathered but only to be piled up in the center of a square and burned, to save on space, which caused Tali to wince slightly. It sounded cold and heartless to her, at the careless disregard for life on this station. Deep down, she understood the methodology but was still shocked at seeing at the wanton violence firsthand.

Back on the ship, Shepard had immediately gone to the small room which was now designated as the science wing as she went to the washroom. Grabbing a rag, she wet the cloth as she dabbed at her suit, removing the coating of dust and blood from it. It took a few minutes and the water in the sink was mixed with a combination of ugly colors but at least she felt _clean_ again. As clean as she could feel.

Stepping out, she headed toward the lift when she received a hail on her omni-tool. It was from Shepard, asking to see her in his cabin. Confused, yet pleased, she walked over to find him where she had seen him last, sitting at his desk with his gaze held towards the door.

"Tali," he stood up, the door closing behind her, "I just felt that I should apologize for my behavior today. It wasn't very becoming of me and I didn't want you to see me like that."

"Why should you apologize?" Tali tilted her head, "You've already done enough apologizing today. Is this about that one turian?"

Shepard nodded slightly. Tali knew what he was going to link his sudden actions to but she went in a different direction, "Was this about how he tried to practically rob us? It wasn't fair that he tried to do-"

"No, Tali. It was when he insulted _you_. It was when he called you that word that…I just snapped. It was a rash move on my part and I'm sorry for having jeopardized everyone on the mission because of how stupidly I was acting."

_Commander Shepard, fighting for my honor?_ "Oh," was the only word that she could say, breathing in slightly at how her hopes were slowly increasing. "It's all right. I…I'd been called that many times before…when I was on my Pilgrimage. It wasn't a big deal."

"It _was_ a big deal, Tali. You didn't deserve to be called that. I just can't stand it when someone insults a friend right in front of my face. I just…" He turned around and faced the far wall, lowering his head as he huffed in annoyance.

"It wasn't right what he did, yes. I do hate being called 'suit-rat' but he deserved what happened to him."

"The _logical_ thing would have been to grit my teeth and move on," he protested.

Tali stepped forward a bit, "That's what a _machine_ would do. Even with your upgrades, Shepard, you're still human."

"Maybe," he agreed, "Or maybe I'm just failing to be the better man in this case, letting my emotions control me instead of rationality."

"But is that really what you want?" Tali pressed, "Does being the better man mean pushing aside what feels right?

Shepard turned around to give her a weak smile, sitting back down, "I don't think I'm even qualified to answer that question, Tali. I'm not even sure what I want anymore…"

As he trailed off, Tali took that to mean that he wanted to be left alone. He nodded to her to signal that she could leave if she wanted. She hesitantly gave a curt bob of the head in his direction and edged back out the door, opening at her proximity. But before she fully left his presence, she turned around at the brooding human, "Then I guess that makes two of us, Shepard. Thank you…for the talk And…for showing that you care."

As the door closed, Shepard was left more confused than ever.

* * *

_**A/N: These chapters are starting to come together a lot easier now. Of course, if there is any dip in quality due to my haste to get these out, tap me on the shoulder and politely say: "Hey, you're doing a crappy job, here." Politely, I must stress.**_


	16. Chapter 4: Collectors on the Horizon

Glancing out of the port side window, Shepard breathed out a long and low sigh. He tapped on the guardrail expectantly, as though as that would make Anderson call any faster. He did enjoy staring at the so called "fleet" that he now possessed but it was useless without any direction. And right now, they had no direction.

The waiting had not entirely been pointless, though. In the span of two days, Mordin had been working diligently for up to twelve hour shifts, preparing his countermeasure for the seeker swarms. Currently, the salarian had assured Shepard that it was all but done as it just needed to process before it could be used in the field. This crucial final step necessitated waiting a bit longer, but after two days of not managing to find any further clues in the recordings that Tali had procured, his patience was wearing thin.

As if he sensed the man's displeasure from afar, Admiral Hackett had contacted them to let the commander know that the ships for his fleet had been prepped and were waiting in dry dock at the Citadel. It was enough to make Shepard jump to his feet and order the _Veritas_ towards the structure so that they could properly mobilize.

Less than ten hours later, the six ships hung in orbit above Saturn, awaiting an order from Shepard's lips. His fleet, the five cruisers: the _Amarillo_, _Titan_, _Pompeii_, _Antietam_, and the _Bergensen_ all stood fast above the huge yellow sphere, engrossed in cyber warfare simulations with the _Veritas_. The crews of these ships were currently attempting drills of breaching enemy firewalls and hacking ship systems so that they could give the physical combatants an edge over the other. A single line of code had the capability to disable an engine, drop shields, or shut down the life support. One good hack could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Thankfully, all the CW crews had proved to be very capable, with each ship having similar hack times so that no one was the lone successful hacker twice in a row. Shepard had watched a few simulations as he hovered over the shoulder of the nearest technician, but soon realized that he was completely out of his depth here. The men and women working these divisions were scrolling through screens faster than he could blink, their hands a blur as they flew over the keyboards. Only Tali appeared to properly "get" what they were doing and unsuccessfully tried to interpret to Shepard what they were attempting to do within the simulation but it got to the point where the dense terminology just wasn't connecting anymore and he had to wave her off, with a smile so that he could laugh at his own inexperience.

In total, the five cruisers certainly could stand up to any cyber-attack and were more than competent at fending off a few errant ships. They had torpedoes, Thanix cannons, ion cannons, a smorgasbord of options. It would be nigh suicidal for an enemy to piss any one of them off. They may be swinging a bigger stick now but Shepard wanted someone to swing that stick at. Hours upon hours of drills were fine but utterly useless if no one was going to utilize them in a combat scenario.

Answering his silent pleas for a lead, his omni-tool flashed. The message was from Anderson, saying that they needed to talk. Relieved, he tore himself away from the window as he took the rear staircase up to the briefing room. The console was blinking as it patiently waited for input on his end. He obliged and answered the call, the blue overhead crystals warming and projecting Councilor Anderson before him.

"Shepard," the grainy voice broke through, "How have you been holding up?"

He shrugged, "Fine so far. Dr. Solus is putting the final touches on his countermeasure right now so we should be good to go at practically any time."

"What, does he have like a drug for you guys to take?"

"Not exactly. He told me that the seeker swarms are easily distracted by noise but not at the frequencies that anyone can hear in our normal range. He created a set of firmware that can download into our armors and it will emit a low-pitched white noise that should deter them from attacking us."

Anderson nodded, impressed, "Saves on having to take a shot in the arm, at least."

"Yeah, I've never been big on needles," he looked at his arms in realization, "Also, there wouldn't be a vein to put anything in, if I'm being completely accurate."

That caused the councilor to laugh for a quick second before his expression turned serious, "I'm not going to keep you much longer, Shepard. I know how stir-crazy you can get when you have nothing to do."

Shepard cautiously leaned forward, "You found something."

"Maybe, but it was odd enough that I wanted to report it to you straight away. We just lost contact with another colony in the Shadow Sea. The Iera System, a planet called Horizon."

"When did the colony go dark?"

"Four hours ago."

Adrenaline was causing his heart to beat faster, "Then there's no time to lose. Send me the coordinates and-"

"Shepard, wait," Anderson raised a hand, "There's something you need to know."

"What about?" What could be so important that would warrant a delay moving on the Collectors right when they were in the middle of razing a colony?

"We only found out about Horizon when we received a suspicious message. That's why we didn't bring the news to you straight away."

"What was in the message?" By the look on Anderson's face, Shepard did not know how concerned he should be at this development.

"It was an encoded message sent to a secure server on Horizon," Anderson said grimly, "A copy of it was also deliberately sent to us. The contents of which denoted that _you_ were located on Horizon."

Shepard scratched his head in confusion, "That doesn't make any sense. Why would a message say I'm on-" he stopped as he met Anderson's gaze. Looking at the other, Shepard could understand the man's frosty tone and his reserved exterior that he usually kept for strangers. "_Cerberus_," Shepard realized, "It was Cerberus who sent the message, wasn't it?"

"That was our final assessment as well," the councilor concurred, "The sender was irretrievable due to a tertiary encryption protocol embedded in the message but it stands to reason that there is only one group out there that could stand to profit by dropping your name."

"It's like…it's like they think that the Collectors are looking for _me_, specifically."

"It would appear that way."

"Then…" Shepard was floored, "If they believe that the Collectors are targeting me, then it would stand to reason that..." He trailed off as he shut his eyes in despair, "_They_ attacked the Normandy. It all makes sense, who else would have had the technology to sneak up on us like that? It…" He eventually broke off as he found himself at a loss for words.

"I know, son. But you have to be extra cautious, Shepard," Anderson warned in his calm voice, "Cerberus may have only used your name so that they could draw out the Collectors for their own nefarious purposes but we can't discount the possibility that they are simply setting a trap for you and your crew."

"Ordinarily, I would be worried but I have a fleet now and Cerberus has demonstrated time and again in the past that they cannot stand up to me," Shepard assured, "What hope could they have against me and my whole crew? If it comes to that, we'll be ready."

"Cerberus may be able to be held at bay," Anderson cautioned with a shake of his head, "But we have no intel on the troop capabilities of the Collectors. We don't know what weapons they use or what technology they have to their advantage."

Shepard gave his muscles a quick flex, feeling them tighten in response to his mental commands. He clenched his jaw shut as he came closer to the hologram, "I'm not about to let _them _have the advantage any day, either. Besides, this is a personal matter."

Anderson's expression, projected from millions and millions of miles away, reflected the man's attitude completely at the moment, "That's what I'm afraid of, Shepard. If you will be able to set aside personal feelings for the sake of the mission, that is."

"I can't guarantee that, councilor," Shepard took a step back so that he might fully see the man, "Could you?"

Anderson's face was serene, "No. I suppose not."

* * *

The first thing that Shepard noted when he stepped out of the shuttle was the warmth of the air that enveloped him and his squad. Kaidan and Garrus stepped out behind him, the latter tugging uncomfortably on his collar as he blinked in the hot weather. All three of them quickly checked their omni-tools, looking at the little green icon in the corner. Everyone's armor had been equipped with Mordin's countermeasure in addition to a spare bit of software that kept tabs on its functionality. In theory, two of the noise emitters on their armors could fail and they would be fine, provided they stayed close together, within the radius of the third.

No need to worry just yet for any of them as all three were performing admirably. The yellow grass bent at their feet, crackling, as if the place had not received any rain for weeks. To the south lay the beginning of the settlement, the familiar boxy housing units blotting the otherwise pristine landscape. Looking behind, Shepard could see the outline of a GARDIAN laser turret that lined the perimeter of the colony. According to the timeline provided by Anderson, the turrets that were positioned around the area had been tech donated by the Alliance, a countermeasure against pirate attacks. What was a little disconcerting was the fact that the turrets did not even seem to be on, but they were thankfully undamaged.

Storm clouds, dark grey flashing with lightning, collected in the distant skyline. A brief burst of wind blew across Shepard's face and he instinctively shivered, the sensation sadly lapsing back into memories of past experiences. It no longer felt so foreign to him when a common touch such as a breeze or a hand on his shoulder was applied, but he could only appreciate that he was fortuitous to even be here at all.

The wind was blowing towards the center of the colony and all three of them stood in silence and awe, as they shielded their eyes from the harsh yellow rays of the sun. Miles away, but enormous enough to seem like it was even closer, a huge cylindrical ship stood upright. It was an odd fusion of both organic and artificial contours. The bottom half looked like an enormous engine, with several circular wings and fins surrounding it. Near the bow, what looked like three huge, brown, and pointed rocks lined the mouth of the ship. None of them had seen anything like it, the vessel was most definitely of Collector origin.

A buzzing sound filled their heads and all three of them ducked slightly in response. An angry cloud of what appeared to be enormous insects passed by overhead. The noise produced by their wings was irritating and Shepard felt a lump of disgust embed itself in the bottom of his throat. Kaidan seemed particularly disturbed by the sight of the seeker swarms, the man hated bugs more than Shepard.

The good news was that the countermeasure seemed to be working admirably. The swarms did not seem to even want to traverse the airspace around the two humans and the turian, preferring to either turn back or head around them altogether, an invisible shield produced by the undetectable throbbing embedded in their suits.

"_Shepard?_" Tali's voice came through his earpiece, "_How are you three faring?_"

He glanced upward, as his optics filtered through the planet's natural haze. Horizon was fortunate enough for its atmosphere to not be poisoned by smog and carcinogens that came with overpopulation. As it was, it remained relatively unspoiled, which meant that Shepard could catch the faint outline of six small figures, the light from the planet reflecting onto their hulls. He could only guess at this point which one of the six pinpricks was the Veritas, knowing that Tali sat up there, coordinating a few key aspects from the copilot's seat.

Shepard gave a grim smile, "You'd have to see it here to believe it, Tali."

"_I've got your armor feeds, I think I have a pretty good idea. But does the countermeasure appear to be working?"_

"Working and working well. You can give Mordin my thanks and appreciation while you're up there."

"_You can do that when you get back. Keelah, why am I even up here? I should be down there with you."_

Kaidan had taken point, moving past the empty park benches as they clomped through the thick grass, Shepard bringing up the rear. "Getting lonely up there, Miss Zorah? I know Joker is not your favorite conversationalist but please try not to kill him for making another terrible joke. I'd hate to fill out his insurance policy."

"_Ha, don't worry. I've got my shotgun by my side in case he makes a snide remark_."

The image of a smug Tali holding a gun near a meek Joker caused Shepard to laugh, making Garrus look back apprehensively, "Wish I could see _that_. Anyway, we're just approaching the compound now and should be in the radius of the network. Are you in right now?"

"_Just got in. Had to use your omni-tool as a hard link to reroute the directory but I have all of the files up on the craft."_

He glanced back at the lone turret in sight, the barrel pointed away from the colony in its stoic position. "What is the status of the turret perimeter? Do we need to power the place up because they don't even look operational?"

Shepard heard the blips of holographic keys being interacted with as Tali's hands were no doubt flying. He only had to wait a few seconds before she came through, _"Looking at it right now. Maintenance records say that the turrets have calibration problems, however. I can't correct them from here so you're going to have to connect me to the mainframe directly."_

"Any idea where I can find an access point?"

"_Middle of the compound, five hundred meters due southeast."_

"What would I do without you, Tali?"

"_Leave the hacking to Garrus?"_ Slight teasing in her words mixed with pride.

Shepard chuckled, "Fat chance of that happening. I'll let you know once I reach the point. We'll be back soon."

"_Stay safe_."

As the feed cut out, Shepard glanced over to see Garrus give a mischievous smile in return. He lifted a finger and pointed it at the turian, "Don't you say a word."

"Hey," Garrus said defensively, "My jaw is clamped shut." He paused in mockingly regarded the human, "But, you have to admit, she _did_ seem pretty concerned for your-"

"_Garrus_," Shepard warned, "Not one more word." It was obvious that the turian was bursting to say something regarding the abrupt change in tone Shepard had demonstrated when talking from Tali and then to Garrus. Eventually, he calmed, swallowing in an effort to keep whatever unneeded remark down.

Absolutely incredulous, Shepard lightly shoved the turian aside as he exchanged point position. They were approaching a small courtyard when more buzzing filled the air, this time it was deeper and louder than anything from the seeker swarms.

Five humanoid forms suddenly burst over the hill, their wings keeping them completely aloft. Shepard could now clearly see that the forms that the surveillance cameras had picked up on Freedom's Progress were one and the same right here. Their skin was a wrinkled brown, a hard shell protruded from their backs. The heads of the Collectors were triangular with four bulbous, yellow eyes. They truly looked like enormous insects, making him wince at their ugly appearance.

In contrast, the Collectors did not appear to be disturbed by their intruding guests (their lack of facial features made this impossible to determine) and they lifted some sort of strange weapon and began to open fire.

Ducking behind a mass of trees, Shepard called out to Kaidan to flank their enemies. The biotic immediately began to run towards the nearest structure as the unlocked door let him in with no hassle. Leaning out the open window he could see that a Collector had taken refuge from behind a raised garden. A quick lift followed by a push and the alien was sailing through the air to impact on the housing structure on the opposite side of the courtyard. There was a loud _crunch _and it slid to the dirt, leaving yellow blood splashed upon the wall.

One down.

Filled with anger at having met the aliens which had almost been successful in claiming his life, Shepard burst from the bushes and charged the nearest Collector. Bullets impacted with his shields, causing him to wince as the snapping motions from the hits caused his body to jerk but it did not prevent him from making contact with the alien itself. Fingers grasping for its neck, the two fell to the ground, rolling over one another as the surprised Collector struggled to meet its attacker. It was too late, powerful fingers forced themselves into its throat and quickly pulled back once it firmly gripped flesh, taking yellow, ragged muscle with it. The Collector warbled and coughed as it died, blood pouring from the huge opening.

He glanced up from the carnage to see another Collector aim its odd, saw-toothed weapon at him. Relying on his now normal reflexes, he leaped to the right to scurry behind a nearby crate as the gun barked, aiming where he had just been a second ago. Blinking as it lost sight of its target, the alien turned around to perceive the human when, all of a sudden, the top of its head was shot off, yellow brains fountaining in the air. All four of the Collector's eyes bulged out of its sockets from the force of the impact and it soon collapsed, legs folded underneath it.

Shepard smiled wickedly and gave Garrus the thumbs up sign, who replied with an egotistical nod of the head as he adjusted his rifle. Fine, let him enjoy his moment of glory. Garrus was a better fighter when he was in a good mood, anyway.

Suddenly, Garrus' face dipped in confusion. "Husks!" he hollered out.

Shepard craned his neck to perceive a small troupe of the purple figures round the corner of the furthest establishment. Garrus was wasting no time, his rifle singing within seconds of each pull of the trigger. Kaidan had also picked up on the danger and was now leveling biotic bursts at the creatures. One such blast hit a husk in such a way that the diseased flesh below the waist disintegrated, leaving the top half to flop about uselessly on the ground as its grey organs slid out from underneath it. If the husk could have any expression other than dull hunger it would have looked horrified.

Garrus and Kaidan were busy making short work of the listless beings leaving Shepard to tackle the final two Collectors. A whirring sound was nearby and Shepard saw a taller alien throw up a gold, honeycombed energy shield in front of it. He put a few bursts into the surface to test its permeability and found that it had little give. He considered bull-rushing the Collector but it stepped out and aimed a different gun at him, this one a little more smoother than the assault rifles they had previously come into contact with.

A beam of highly focused radiation sped straight toward him and he ducked, energy slashing overhead. Shepard threw himself to the side as the Collector tried again, a continuous ray vying for contact with his skin. The Collector was advancing, now pulling the trigger in short bursts, not giving him a chance to run out in the open. He calmed his nerves and listened. A quiet grinding noise of feet on leaves was coming from his left. He closed his eyes, hearing the moans of husks in the distance, the chitter from the Collector's cohort, and the rush of wind in the air. He breathed in the dry air, parching his throat and making him thirsty.

The footsteps were close now, about thirty paces away. Twenty paces...fifteen...ten...five..._one_. Shepard roared and threw his fists down as he burst out from his corner seconds before his foe, impacting with the strange rifle and sending it bouncing away on the ground. The Collector seemed annoyed by this and swung an appendage at Shepard's head. Surprisingly, the blow was strong enough to send him to the ground as well, coughing as his body screamed in protest.

The Collector did not utilize any of its time in gloating, walking over to his position as soon as he hit dirt. Shepard saw the creature's rifle lying next to him so he scooped it up. The alien halted in its tracks, now realizing that the tables had turned. Grimacing, Shepard pulled the trigger and swept it across in a short arc. The Collector's head tumbled off its shoulders, its neck a smoking ruin, cauterized from the intense heat.

He hefted the strange weapon in his grip. "Not bad at all," he said in approval.

"**Assuming direct control**."

_What now?_ He turned around to see the last Collector spasm in front of him. Its limbs quaked and it thrashed in place, some unseen force raising it a few inches above the ground. There was an explosion of light (nothing that Shepard couldn't handle) and the creature dropped to a knee. Rising to its feet, the Collector's body was now an angry mess of webbed flame that singed its flesh beneath. The Collector's eyes glowed with power and it raised an arm, pointing it at Shepard.

He didn't see a weapon in the thing's hand so he didn't move at first. When a ball of dark energy burst forth from its hand, he was too slow on the uptake. The blast bowled him over, eliciting a grunt from him. The attack had hit him in the chest but his armor looked like it had been hit with a grenade. Smoke rose from the zone, causing him to wrinkle its nose when the stinging scent of melted plastic filled them.

"**My attacks will tear you apart**." Shepard then realized that the deep, throbbing voice came from the Collector itself. Some demon had taken control of the drone in front of him and had the gall to _taunt _him.

Too stunned to even retort, Shepard began to plug away at the Collector's barrier, looking for the instant when the purple wreath broke around it. The alien growled as slugs began to impact but it didn't slow in its advance. "**You will know pain, Shepard**," it said calmly.

"Shut _up_," Shepard spat, exasperated. He took a flying leap and tucked into a roll as his feet made contact with earth. Another ball of energy missed him by inches but he was in the clear. Drawing his omni-blade, he leaped to his feet and plunged it into the alien's chest. The Collector growled once before the red veins expanded across its body, causing it to dissolve into ash. The remnants of the Collector wisped away as Shepard was left standing there, alone.

With a final _pop_, the last husk in the courtyard fell as its head burst apart, dousing the ground with black ichor. Kaidan and Garrus stepped around from their chosen cover as they regrouped beside Shepard, panting slightly.

"For a first assault," Garrus breathed, "That didn't go as badly as I thought."

Shepard stretched his arms, muttering weakly, "Yeah, terrific…" He dusted himself off before turning to Kaidan, "You can go ahead, I'll catch up in a second."

The human nodded and gestured to Garrus, stepping over the prone forms of Collectors and husks alike. Shepard took the moment to scan the area, trying to detect any signs of movement. Aside from the flutter of a local bird or the waving of the trees in the breeze, there were no more enemies in sight.

"_Shepard?_" his comm blared, "_All you all right?_"

Feeling a slight surge of relief, he keyed it, "I've been better, to be honest."

"_You sound out of breath, what happened?_"

The quarian's comforting tone was taking the edge off the adrenaline, having an ataractic effect on him, "Had a little argument with a few Collectors, if you know what I mean."

"_Keelah, what are they like?_"

"Big giant bugs with guns. I don't really know how else to describe them."

"_Oh_," Shepard could hear her shudder over the comm, "_Maybe it's a good idea that I'm up here. I _hate _bugs._"

Shepard grinned, "You had bugs on the flotilla, Tali?"

"_No, but there were these things called 'cockroaches' that had infested this one ship that I had stowed away on. The way that they crawled over everything was...errrgghhh, just horrible._" If there was one universal constant that proved to last across the galaxy, it was that no one likes bugs.

"Well, hopefully I get to squash a few more of them now that I'm here. How much further to the access point?"

"_Hm? Oh, right!_" he could hear her flip screens across as she quickly searched for their current positions on the map, "_Should be in the next open area then you can connect up to me._"

"Then I'll be sure to make it quick."

* * *

To his credit, Shepard hadn't been lying when he said that he'd make it quick. The journey across the compound had not been impeded in any way. There didn't seem to be an abundance of troops in the area, which meant that they had probably completed their foul work in collecting the majority of the colonists.

Oddly enough, they did pass by a few unfortunate souls when they had to sidle through a barracks of sorts. Two colonists were standing upright, but their bodies were completely frozen, their gazes locked straight ahead as if they had been put into some sort of stasis. They now had firsthand experience on what seeker swarms actually did to their prey. Good thing that the countermeasures were still working.

The hardpoint lay in the middle of a large field, a shipping area from the looks of it. Shepard had Garrus and Kaidan sweep the area while he simultaneously synched the targeting systems to Tali's console. In moments, a bypass was running that was auto-correcting the calibration errors and bringing the turrets back to life.

On the other hand, the surge of energy from that one location also had the negative effect of attracting unwanted attention. Within moments, husks started popping up from out of nowhere, Shepard's squadmates already rushing to take care of them.

From beyond a door to the south, two figures descended from the air. One was a lone Collector, covered in the same fiery lines that he had seen just minutes ago. A new host for the puppetmaster.

The other form was larger, much larger. Landing with a thud, four huge limbs propping up as its grey body quivered in anticipation. Four blue-grey eyes gazed back, unblinking. Blue energy surrounded the alien as it started to float. Beneath the head of this monstrosity was an odd collection of what appeared to be husk heads arranged next to each other. This thing made the Collectors look human in comparison.

"**Your destruction is at hand**," the Collector roared, the Praetorian charging at its angry wave. Its eyes seemingly enlarged, pulsing, and finally tightened as beams of energy flew through them. Shepard couldn't even begin to explain the science behind it all other than his one mission at the moment was to not get hit by the blue death beams.

"Tali?" he asked, getting impatient, "When are those turrets going to be online?"

"_Almost got it!_" he heard her cry, "_Seventy-five percent done._"

Shepard didn't think that seventy-five percent was enough to warrant an "almost" but any complaints he wanted to voice dried up when he felt himself being picked up by the Collector, who had suddenly appeared around the side.

The hand gripping him by the neck was strong, but the Collector tilted his head, as if it was studying him, testing him.

"**You are no longer the same**," its voice dripping with displeasure, "**Your transformation has already begun.**"

"So I gathered," Shepard muttered. The hand couldn't restrict his windpipe due to it being embedded under too many metal layers. His right hand made a motion and red-orange light erupted from it. Swinging his arm upward, he felt himself fall before his legs shot out and stopped his descent. The Collector looked at the stump of its severed arm as the brown-yellow liquid spat in a steady rhythm.

Shepard held his omni-blade up, ready for another attack, "What are you?"

"**We are Harbinger,**" the Collector growled, "**And we are your salvation through destruction**."

"You've got that right," he retorted, leaping up and planting a foot in the alien's chest. The crushing blow caused the Collector to stumble back as it rasped but this had an unexpected outcome. The Praetorian had maneuvered around the antenna at this point and had started to charge its laser attack again. Shepard had been ready for it this time and leaped backward, watching as the blue light enveloped the Collector in his place. Two seconds later, the same ashy substance coated the ground.

"Thanks for the assist," Shepard flipped off a mocking salute towards the floating beetle. If anything, it seemed enraged by the taunt, foregoing the recharging of its barriers so that it could prepare another barrage. He only smiled as he unhooked the ML-77 Missile Launcher from his back bringing it up to his face as the bug desperately gathered energy.

The weapon had an auto-target feature and since the Praetorian was the only enemy in the immediate area, Shepard didn't need to wait as he depressed the trigger four times. Four blue streaks of light came out from the launcher and a mess of shredded chitin and steaming piles of intestines burst forth like an overripe fruit. Shepard ducked behind a crate so he wouldn't get hit by the smelly substance.

When the dust settled, he could hear the deep bass _boom _in the distance. Looking around, he could see rounds originate from the ground to impact on the giant ship that stood in the middle of the colony. Tali had done it, the turrets were online. Large sections of the ship were starting to fall apart from the onslaught until a huge roar shook the entire world. Covering their ears the three of them stared as the huge ship lifted itself off as its gigantic engine applied an unthinkable amount of force on the ground to necessitate it leaving the atmosphere. Within seconds, it was gone, only a smoke trail remaining.

"Damn," Kaidan said as he jogged up, "Thought we had them there for a second."

"It could have been worse," Garrus intoned thoughtfully, "We managed to stop them taking an entire colony, not to mention we damaged their ship in the process."

"It means that we can beat them," Shepard said through a tight smile, "It wasn't a victory today, but it's far from a defeat." He clapped his hands together, "Next time we'll have them."

"Hell yeah," Garrus growled determinedly.

Shepard now activated his comm, "Tali? Thanks for the help. Just letting you know we're done here and are on our way back."

"_No problem J-...Shepard_," came her voice, tinged with satisfaction, "_You might want to make it fast. Joker's been doing some scans of the area and he's getting nervous._"

"How nervous?"

"_Um...very_."

"Roger that, heading back now."

* * *

"Shepard!" Joker called, "We're picking up some strange readings here!"

He jogged up to the front, armor creaking with each step. Tali stood up out of her seat, looking like she was about to say something but decided against it once she saw how determined he was to talk to the pilot. "What do we got, Joker?"

Joker waved a hand at his display, cycling through several screens to bring up his planetary scans, "We had to stray out of our geosynchronous orbit when the Collector ship had to skedaddle, so we had to adjust to another position in order for them not to get the notion to take a potshot at us."

"Spit it out, Joker," Shepard sighed.

"Look here," the man pointed to a blip on the far side of the planet. Shepard leaned down to see the dull grey icons, which the legend denoted as-

"_Wreckage_," Shepard grimaced, "Are we still in contact with our fleet?"

"All ships reporting in, Shepard. The wreckage didn't come from one of ours."

The craft's deep view camera was now positioned in the area of interest. On the screen, the three of them could see the twisted and mangled hulks of what had been space-faring vessels. Shepard squinted as he bent down for a better look. He could see that some of the pieces were glowing red, still hot despite the chilling cold of space.

"Joker," Shepard glanced down, "Was there anything in the intel about Horizon having a fleet?"

"No, commander," he shook his head, "Besides, the amount of wreckage is too large for civilian craft. This is like ten large ships at _least_."

"Seems to be hours old, judging from the dispersal radius. Which means that it only could have been done by the Collectors while they were still in orbit approaching the planet."

"And they never had a chance when the bugs showed up. Poor bastards."

They remained in the same position as they regarded the feed with silence. Tali tilted her head as she blinked in surprise. She tapped her commander on the shoulder, pointing, "Shepard, _look_."

He followed the direction of Tali's finger as he saw where she was gesturing to. On the screen, an errant wing was tumbling lazily, detached from its source. Once it had turned completely around, they could see a yellow and black scheme reflect back at them.

Joker gave a quick laugh, "Guess luck was on _our _side for once."

"Guess so," Shepard agreed, "I was wondering why we weren't seeing any of them back on the colony. Good catch, Tali."

She nodded dimly, wanting to clarify that it was nothing but she knew that Shepard would appreciate the keen observation nonetheless. So, for the time being, she kept mum and let herself glow from Shepard's consideration.

Joker stretched and cracked his knuckles, letting a grin break across his face, "So much for bringing a fleet if the Collectors were going to do our job to begin with. I take back what I said, _dumb _bastards."

"I think we're all entitled to feel a little smug at this point, Joker," Shepard patted the man's shoulder, "And this also gives us a chance to improve in the future."

"How so?"

"Well, if we're going to be prepared for events like this and not having to waste our time staring at floating crap, we need to position our ships in equal intervals around a celestial body and maintain geosynchronous orbits, which will allow us to be able to cover more area with the spread."

"Which means that we can create a small blockade and have access to the whole planet," Joker nodded, making a note, "Solid copy, commander. We can contact the other captains and-"

_PING!_

Tali jumped, "What in the _Ancestors _was that?"

"Ladar reading," Joker frowned, punching up the diagnostics, "It was aimed at the grouping but there hadn't been any movement for minutes. What could…?"

The ladar was a tight, invisible beam of light that served as a key component of sensors for a ship. It essentially comprises the eyes of vessels as it is generally very hard to detect objects by sight alone. The ladar sweeps an area and any object it comes into contact with bounces the light back and the sensors record the distance, relative speed, and direction that the object is traveling in.

"We've got something behind that carrier," Joker pointed out, disengaging the zoom feature and reverting back to normal view, now relying on the radar, "Guess they thought they were home free and decided to make a move."

Shepard cautiously opened his omni-tool, "All ships, this is Commander Shepard. I need everyone to converge on our coordinates right away. _Pompeii _and _Amarillo_, you approach from the western hemisphere. _Titan, Antietam_, and _Bergensen_, you come alongside us. Have everyone report to battle stations and ready all weapons." Hearing every acknowledgement, he closed the tool in satisfaction as he already saw faint blips approach from the other side of Horizon.

Joker pounded the console in victory, "We definitely have something, Shepard. Cerberus bogey at our twelve o'clock."

"Get a lock on it and ready torpedoes."

Joker nodded and opened the splash feature for the weapons of the craft. Selecting the appropriate tool of choice, he began probing for a heat signature before the computer spat out a big, fat "0."

"Tracking can't detect it, commander," Joker tried again, frustrated.

"Is there wreckage in the way?"

"Nope, it just got out of cover but we still can't target it."

"That doesn't make any sense," Shepard muttered to himself. He could clearly see the pale dot in the distance, why couldn't it be targeted? "The only ship that didn't have any-" His mouth dropped as an epiphany came to him. "Joker," he leaned down, "Zoom in on the ship. Directly this time."

"Why? That won't make it lock on any-"

"_Just do it._"

Fearful yet intrigued at the same time, the pilot shrugged and popped the zoom application up again. Aiming it at the fleeing craft, he hit the button and the image enlarged. Quiet filled the cockpit for a good ten seconds.

"Son of a bitch," Shepard sighed.

"Keelah," Tali gasped.

"No..._fucking_...way," Joker managed.

The outline of the ship was all too familiar. Apart from a few tweaks, it was a unique design, one that the three could never forget. This craft was painted white, with a black and gold trim. Two large, graceful wings contained two engines each. Two stubby tails protruded from the back end, all connected to a curved, bullet-shaped construction. It was a beautiful looking ship.

It was the Normandy.

* * *

_**A/N: There was a rather tempered response to the last chapter (not that I can blame anyone for that except myself). I do have to concede that there are just some times when I have no energy to write, either from a lack of sleep or just general boredom at the content of the chapter. That one certainly did suffer from one of those reasons and I should learn to just take a break when I don't feel enthused in the slightest.**_

_**However, I did feel a lot better writing this chapter (I personally think that it's reflected better in my writing) but I'll let you good people decide. Even when I'm at my worst I still receive a ton of support for this story which is a very nice compromise and rather warming at the fact that there are people who are so understanding and receptive. So I feel I must thank you for sticking with me and being the real heroes of this story. **_

_**We've still got a long way to go, but we're getting there!**_


	17. Chapter 5: Copycat

The icons on the display of the _Veritas _popped up as each and every ship connected in the area. Tightband beams brought up a menu of the individual networks that all ships run on, the light orange glow illuminating the cockpit. Six out of the seven ships on the list were accounted for, the last one was not.

That lone entry was the one that Shepard selected as he broadcast the information to the servers of his fleet, as the technicians on his ship were already bringing the documents up on their respective screens in preparation for the mark. The keys to the Cerberus flagship had been dispersed.

"I've sent you the necessary packets for the CW teams to go to work," Shepard called into the comm, "Begin your worms and work to shut down any non-life support systems on that ship." His eyes were locked onto the winged bird-like shape of the craft in the distance. His tool blinked as the captains sent their acknowledgements, showcasing that they were already hard at work hacking the vessel.

He dropped back to the hallway where he could see half a dozen men and women type furiously at the code to probe for a weakness. They were busy taking lines and substituting their own files in an attempt to bring about a trapdoor for the installed processes. Some were taking nodes and connecting them to randomly booted signals in an effort to confuse the firewalls into letting their guard down for a single second. In the technological universe, one second was an eternity.

"Shepard," Tali called from the copilot's seat, "The _Amarillo _reports that the Nor...um, I mean that ship's navigation has successfully been scrambled."

"We're making progress then," Shepard smiled as he spoke once again to his fleet, "Keep at it! They can't hold off six ships hacking them simultaneously!"

On the main console, a visual representation of the faux-Normandy had been blown up and scaled for better viewing. Red sections were increasingly being added to it as more and more subroutines and systems failed on the ship, shut down by the efforts of the hacks.

Tali was a wizard at this sort of stuff, her eyes rapidly scanned and scrolled down a few seemingly random series of characters before she stopped.

"This is tough, Shepard," she said, frustrated. "It's like there's someone else in the system. They're fast as me, whoever they are and they keep on blocking my hacks."

"Do you need more time?"

"No, our other technicians are doing an admirable job holding off their full attention on me. They can't hold out forever. And I'm better than this _bosh'tet_."

Indicating a spot for her to access, she typed in a few arbitrary commands before the screen blinked green and closed on her. She looked back at the enemy's status and craned her neck to face Shepard.

"_Gotcha_," she hissed triumphantly, "I just got their shields offline, we can take those bastards out now."

"We're not destroying them," Shepard shook his head.

"We're not?"

"No. I have a better idea," he keyed the comm, "All ships, aim and charge ion cannons at the target. You may fire at will."

Tali was confused, "But...but Shepard. I thought you would have wanted to-"

"Not this time, Tali," he carefully placed a hand on her shoulder while the other pointed out the window, "You see the ship out there?"

"Of course," Tali replied earnestly.

"Why should Cerberus get to use a fine vessel like that?" he pondered out loud, "Don't you think it would look much better in Alliance colors?"

"You…" Tali started before she understood, "You want to take it as a _trophy_."

"Exactly," he stressed, "I want to take away that ship before their eyes. I want to rub it in their faces that they have no control over what they stick their nose into." He put on a mischievous look, "But mostly, the prospect of a new Normandy is enough for me to make a detour any day. What do you think?"

A smile crept upon her face, "I think that we should do it, Shepard."

"Excellent," he grinned at her as electric green beams flared light outside the windows. They didn't bother to look at the source of the brilliance, but rather at each other as they shared a mischievous glance. His hand was still on her shoulder and he eventually remembered this fact, drawing it away with an apologetic look, "Sorry."

Tali's hand shot forward as it grasped his retreating limb. "_No_," she said forcefully, "It's quite all right."

If there was a time and place for such a fumbling maneuver, this certainly wasn't it. Shepard felt his face flush as he glimpsed a fierce determination from the quarian, who still continued to reach for him. Maybe if they had a little more privacy and if they weren't in the midst of a sensitive situation, he might have let her continue on. Hell, he _wanted _her to continue as the sensation of her unique hand in his own felt rather comforting, three fingers against his five. Yet, he gently pried his hand out of her grip, while still giving her a reassuring pat, signifying a clear _not now_ to her. She immediately got the message and turned around in her chair, facing forward as she slumped in embarrassment.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ she silently cursed. She should have exhibited more control there. What was she thinking to press in such an intimate action like that? She should have been more subtle but her emotions were bursting at the seams. Her chest ached and her breath was long and labored. The tiniest of threads were holding her back to keep her from further temptation.

However, she felt his hand on her upper back this time and her breath quickened as he knelt down next to her. She carefully turned her head to see his face, determined but lined with a cautious hope that conducted onto her being. He smiled as the both of them drew their gazes out the window as the light show continued, watching the ship in front of them sizzle with electricity as the ion beams shut down its engines, rendering the Cerberus vessel dead in the water.

"Tali?" Shepard said suddenly, making her jump.

"Yes?" she asked, perhaps a little too eagerly but he didn't bother to make a note of it.

"I'm going to need your help for what's to come next."

"Anything," she nodded and she meant it.

"You're going to be my partner for this next mission, is that something you're okay with?"

"Partner?" she cocked her head before bursting out in nervous laughter, "Oh, as in _teammate_! Yeah, um...right. Sure!" _You are completely hopeless, you know that?_

Shepard's eyebrow momentarily arced upward but he just chalked up her reaction as just nerves. "This mission is entirely voluntary, Tali," he continued on, just to be sure, "You don't have to come with if you don't want to."

"No, Shepard," Tali vehemently shook her head, "I _do _want to go. I'm not going to leave you to take out Cerberus when you know that I hate them just as much as you."

"Just because you hate them doesn't entitle you to come, you know."

"Would you let that fact that stop _you_?" Tali shot back, seeing him blink in response.

"What do you think?" he suddenly scowled.

"Not in the slightest," she jabbed him in the chest with a finger, simultaneously defiant against him for being so hypocritical and horrified at herself for the insubordination against a superior officer. Shepard, being ever understanding, chortled lightly and caught her hand as she moved in for one last poke.

"If I were to argue with you," he smirked, "I'd be lying."

She returned the smile underneath the mask but she sensed that he could tell when she was happy regardless. The fact that she didn't even bother struggling in his grasp was also a clear indication of that as well. "So…?"

"So…" he stood up, "We should get ready. We've got a ship to capture."

Tali did manage to notice (with no small amount of glee) that he was still holding her hand and that when he pulled away to head to the armory, her after him, it seemed to be a rather reluctant gesture.

_Oh, well_. One could only hope.

* * *

The airlock didn't necessarily filter out noise, it was just that no one had felt like talking right about now. The small room, rated for six people, was now uncharacteristically cramped at the moment with ten armored figures taking up every square inch of space.

Tali was kneeling down by the door, working on cracking the lock after the _Veritas _had connected to the disabled Normandy a few minutes earlier. Apart from a loud "_Beat the shit out of them!_" from Joker before they got into position, no one else had anything to say after that. The six marines in addition to the commander, Tali, Garrus, and Kaidan were slightly shuffling in place. Extra firepower for the upcoming skirmish.

The lock flared from red to orange as it started to cycle, Tali standing up after the crack had gone to work. Shepard grabbed her arm to pull her behind him. She started a protest but clamped her mouth shut. He was just worried for her safety, is all. He was more heavily armored than she was and he could take more hits in addition to not have the threat of a suit breach hang over his head. Could anyone really fault his being protective of her?

There was a flash of green and the doorway parted. Reacting with superhuman reflexes, Shepard's finger depressed the trigger of his assault rifle once the first sliver of the interior of the ship had been revealed. In the blink of an eye, three Cerberus troopers had fallen before she'd ever disembarked.

Garrus now strode forward and shot the pilot to the left, creating a nice, round hole in the center of the human's chest, causing him to slide down in his seat. Tali moved close to Shepard's side as she now clutched her shotgun to her side, only bringing it up when some bosh'tet walked forward from the side, the man's lower torso now displaced from the impact of a thousand tiny projectiles.

"_Intruders detected on level 2_," a disembodied voice blared over the wailing klaxons, "_All personnel report to the CIC._"

It was an extreme case of deja vu. From what she had seen so far, the layout of the ship conformed exactly to what she had remembered the original Normandy to be. A long corridor that led to the cockpit, a raised set of consoles in the middle of the room complete with an interactive galaxy map (retaining the original modified turian design), apart from a few angry soldiers currently inhabiting it.

Shepard was becoming a whirlwind ever since he set foot onto the ship. Already moving forward against two soldiers who lined the spine of the ship, he shot his arms out to grab the Mattock rifle in front of him. Almost casually, he swung it to the side, making a nasty _crack _as it impacted with the light protection the helmet provided, but it didn't prevent the blow itself from shattering the man's skull.

Despite the ruined stock of the weapon, it was still functional enough for Shepard to raise it against the man's partner and fire two rounds into his chest. Blood spurted from two holes, both impacting with his heart and he fell, stone dead. The broken rifle was discarded behind him shortly after as Shepard switched to his Carnifex.

"I've always wondered what it would be like to fight in a place like this!" Garrus shouted above the din of blaring rifles.

Shepard, dropping two more who had come through a door on the far end, incredulously looked at the turian, "You've fantasized about having to shoot people on the CIC of my ship _before_?"

"Why not?" Garrus paused to whack a man on the head with the butt of his gun as he tried to stand up from behind the corner of the station. "Plenty of cover, blinking lights gives it an atmospheric edge, and don't even get me started on the acoustics-"

"You are _insane_!" Tali screamed.

Kaidan threw up a biotic barrier and sent it hurtling down an open doorway, completely knocking over two new enemies who were in the process of getting through. One of them was flipped over so hard that he landed on his cheek and broke his neck.

The biotic grimaced, "I'm only glad that, compared to you people, _I _seem pretty normal in comparison-"

"Shut up, Kaidan!" Garrus yelled as two marines stood behind him and finished plugging away at the last of the men on the deck. Quiet resumed soon after.

Shepard stretched his neck gingerly, his shields had not taken a huge beating, nor had anyone else's. In fact, the whole first stage of the hijacking had practically gone off without a hitch. The sound of half-burnt out thermal clips created a rattle on the metal floor as they were dropped, everyone taking the lull to fully recharge and reload.

No more fun and games. This was _his _ship now.

Tali walked over to the elevator nestled behind the captain's position, "'Captain's Cabin,'" she read aloud. "The captain gets a whole floor to himself?"

"I think we'll start there," Shepard adjusted his weapon, "If we can capture the commander of this ship, then we might get a few answers." He looked at the directory for a few more seconds before turning around to Garrus and Kaidan, already starting to back into the elevator, "Take the next level and stay alert."

"Roger that, Shepard," Garrus nodded, "And after we clear that?"

"Get settled in?" he suggested before the doors closed in his face.

* * *

It only took a few seconds for the elevator to reach the next level, a feat that was uncharacteristic of many lifts these days. Shepard and Tali both slowly walked up to the door, guns at the ready, and it opened, casting a soft blue light across them.

"What the hell," Shepard blinked, "This isn't a cabin, it's a _loft_."

He wasn't half off, for an elaborate desk was stationed to their right, complete with a set of glass shelving. A few models of famous ships lay encased in those depths and he laughed at its ostentatiousness. The bed that was positioned a few steps below was massive, compared to his bunk. It looked like an extra large twin, with a set of simple sheets that made the itchy blankets he usually wore look like dirty rags.

"Oh, _wow_," he heard Tali gasp and whirled to see what she had found. Now he scrunched up his face in absolute confusion as he saw that the entire left wall of the cabin had been repurposed as a fish tank. Bright, beautiful skald fish from Illium were moving gracefully in the clear liquid, aloof to the ruckus occurring belowdecks.

"I'm…" he muttered, perplexed, "I'm not even going to question _why _someone thought it would be necessary to put a fish tank on a ship like this."

"I think it's kind of cool," said Tali facetiously.

"Not like I can remove the damned thing," Shepard sighed as he walked back up the steps to the desk. He opened the console to find the screen completely blank. Someone had wiped the hard drive whoever used it last. The chair was not completely in line with the desk, as if its last user had jumped out of it at the first sign of trouble.

There was also the matter of what was still on the desk at the moment. Shepard saw a few crumbs stand out against the sleek surface as a half eaten bowl of cereal sat nearby. He glanced up at Tali, who was still gazing serenely at the fish.

"Tali," he began, "I think-"

The hiss of a door opening followed by a sensation of him hurtling through the air had happened too quickly for him to even process. The blast as the feeling of a huge strike on his back hit him sent his body through the glass case, smashing it to pieces. Perhaps in a fortunate stroke of luck, he had been aimed perfectly so that he landed on the large bed, not even knocking the wind out of him. The soft material yielded to the sudden weight, gently taking the impact.

"Shepard!" Tali cried, running over to him.

He groaned as he sat up, brushing the granules of glass off his head as they tumbled to the sheets, "I'm all right, Tali. I just… wait, _YOU_!" He sat upright, aghast as a figure now appeared above them.

"As you were, _Commander Shepard_," Kai Leng snarled as he drew a short sword from his back, the unpainted door of the bathroom sliding back behind him. The man looked different from the last time they had met. He was wearing a custom-tailored coat, one that Shepard could see could double as a tactical cloaking device. His long hair was tied in a topknot and there was some sort of gear around his face, running across his jaw and over his eyes. It allowed thin white slits to double for his optics, evidence of Tali's work on him.

Leng scowled as he saw Tali, "I see you brought the bitch too, Shepard. How utterly _expected_, for a traitor like you. I've been meaning to pay her back in full for what she did to me."

Shepard got to his feet, despite Tali's urgent hands on him that were pulling his body back, engaging his omni-blade behind him, breathing, "You will not lay a hand on her again, you _piece of shit_." He swung his arm forward and charged the man, roaring a challenge.

"Shepard, no!" Tali screamed, but he didn't listen.

Leng merely smirked and brought his ninjato to meet his blade. A powerful chop caused Shepard's blow to go off course but he whirled to meet the downward strike in a parry. He used his other hand to swipe sideways with a fist, but Kai Leng ducked the attack, arm whistling harmlessly above him.

They were too enclosed for Tali to get off a good shot. There were too many obstacles, not enough room. She could hit Shepard if she wasn't careful. She cursed and waited for the slim chance that would call upon her to save the man fighting to protect her at the moment, arm trembling in fear.

Shepard planted his feet on the ground and rushed forward but Leng stepped aside to let the commander barrel into the desk. He immediately whirled to face Leng again as the short sword swung towards his face.

They continued to clash, neither one exhibiting a clear advantage over the other. Whenever one seemed to stumble, they always recovered too quickly for the other to react. They did not speak as they continued to lash out, eyes locked on the blades, waiting for the perfect moment. A thrust to the torso, a cut to the neck, a slice across the leg, nothing connected with a body.

"This is getting old," Leng growled in the middle of a lock.

"I've still got a lot of fight left in me," Shepard snapped back.

"I don't doubt that, yet I wonder if she…" Leng lifted his right hand and pointed it towards the far wall, where Tali was currently standing. Shepard's eyes widened when he saw that hand contain a pistol and he broke out of the lock immediately, chopping his sword to cut across the man's wrist and sever it before he could fire.

Suddenly, there was a brief pain in his side as his skin burned in protest. He coughed and sunk to his knees as he now saw Leng smile in victory, his sword embedded through Shepard's armor. The pistol had been a ruse and Leng had taken the opportunity to strike at Shepard's unprotected side in his attempted defense of the quarian.

"_Bastard_!" he heard Tali shriek and Leng grunted as his shield were peppered by pistol fire. There was a sucking sound and Shepard made a "_guh_" noise as the sword was removed from his side, slightly stained red. Leng's shields were steadily falling, he couldn't stay in his position any longer. He tried avoiding some of the fire but Tali was relentless as she wasted no time ejecting a spent clip to aim it at the damnable terrorist.

"Everyone has a weak point, Shepard," Leng crowed as he moved back toward the bathroom before glancing at Tali, "And now I know _yours_. One day, I'll kill her right in front of you. And I'll force you to _watch_."

The laugh echoed into the cramped chamber and he shut the door just as Shepard started to rise. Seething, he threw out a fist against the door and felt the thin metal indent as his arm burst through. Clutching his side at the same time, he grasped the jagged edges from the other side of the door and pulled, the whole thing bending out of its frame and onto the desk. Now clear, he walked into the even smaller room and furiously scanned the room.

There was no one there. Leng had somehow disappeared into thin air.

Or had he? A thin grating by the toilet was rattling slightly. Perplexed, he crouched over by the covering and pried it off, revealing a small passageway meant for emergency evacuations. The coward had fled down it.

"You've got to be _kidding_!" he roared into the shaft, completely livid. His armor was too bulky to fit down there but it didn't stop him from considering trying anyway. Shepard was about to jump down there, consequences be damned, when a pair of hands firmly grasped him by the shoulders.

"You're _hurt_, Shepard!" Tali cried, alarmed, "You can't take him!"

"I'm fine, Tali," he muttered numbly, "He didn't damage me, just broke the skin."

"_Just broke the skin?_ You just got _stabbed_, you stubborn _bosh'tet_!"

He was partially ignoring her as he paced over to the elevator, poring over the directory as he muttered, "Where would he go?"

"Shepard," Tali now joined him, "Listen to me, _please…_"

"He wouldn't go to the missile bay…"

"Shepard-"

"The shuttle bay, of course. That sneaky son of a-"

"_SHEPARD_!" she shouted as loud as she possibly could, the noise echoing off the walls and startling the human so badly he backed into the guardrail. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, "But how else can I take this? How am I supposed to think that you getting hurt like this is just normal for you when…"

She failed to say anything more when Shepard had recovered and had moved towards her so quickly that she feared, for one instantaneous moment, that he would strike her. She shut her eyes until she felt herself being wrapped in a large form, hard edges of armor digging into her but the actual act was gentle and affectionate. Tali opened one eye a crack and saw that Shepard had brought her in for a hug, gently patting her back as an admission that everything was going to be all right.

Breaking away, he continued to hold onto her as he now held her with all of his attention, "I guess I deserved that, huh?"

Tali so dearly wished that she had the ability to wipe her eyes for they were starting to well with tears, "A bit, yeah."

He gave a smile, a sad smile of someone who knew he had screwed up royally, "You know, I hate it when I come across to people as a bull-headed asshole but...I have no excuse at this point. I know that it's hard for people to accept when I get wounds like this, but-"

"It's not just that, Shepard," she sighed, "You push yourself too hard regardless. How is anyone supposed to tell when you're hurting for real? If you're not going to worry about yourself, then who will? _Someone _has to."

"It's just-...you don't _understand_, Tali…"

"Then _make _me understand, I _want _to understand."

"What can I possibly say that I haven't said before?" he asked loudly. Without waiting for an answer he reached down to the waist of his armor and pried the covering off his wounded side a few inches. It wasn't completely hanging off, but Tali could see the actual mark itself where Kai Leng had stabbed him. It looked like a neat, thin hole. There was a bit of blood bubbling out but it wasn't a steady stream. It seemed to be in the process of coagulating already.

"Ordinarily, this would would have the potential to be mortal," Shepard clearly enunciated, "That is no longer the case now. A sword can only so much as scratch me unless aimed properly. Is this what's been worrying you?"

"Yes!" she shouted, exasperated, "I mean, you shouted like you were in _pain_. I thought...I thought you _had _been hurt. How am I supposed to tell the difference? I lost you once, Shepard. I can't lose you again!"

She sounded on the verge of bawling, Shepard realized. Her body language and tone made it quite clear that she was genuinely upset. He reached out to grasp her hands and she reluctantly accepted. He massaged the back of her hands with his thumbs as he tried to calm her down, now fully comprehending the selfishness of his actions throughout the past couple days. There was an explanation for her behavior as her baseline reactions had been the most intense out of anyone that he'd met. She was an emotional girl but he had seen her push down her feelings when the call of duty demanded it. Why release them now?

"Do you think it's too late to say, 'I'm sorry?'" he whispered.

Tali sniffed, "It would be a start."

"Then...I'm sorry, Tali. I'm sorry for making you worry. I'm sorry for-"

"Being a bull-headed asshole?" she finished teasingly, noticeably perking up.

"Especially that," he confirmed in a firm voice. Still they stood, hand in hand, trapped within the small box of the elevator. The one place on the ship that was unmarred and quiet. A safe haven.

"Tell you what," he said softly, causing her to look up from their interlocked hands, "Why don't you come see me in the cabin after everything's settled here on the ship? It would be a good chance for us...to talk."

"It's...I…" she stammered, "I- I'd like that."

He took a deep breath, "I think that there are some things that are on both of our minds, yes?"

"A few," she sighed, "And you're right. It would be good for us to...to discuss them. Get some...things of my chest. Right." She cocked her head suddenly, "But won't this distract you? From your duties and everything? If talking to me won't-"

"Tali," he grinned warmly, "Talking to a friend is not distracting in the least. I _want _to know what's troubling you. As your commanding officer, having a heart to heart would be considered improving the overall outcome of the mission."

"Just the mission?"

Shepard's face was stern, "You know what I mean."

Tali let out a small titter, "I do. But, thank you in advance."

"_Umm, Shepard?_" Garrus' voice interrupted through the comm, startling the both of them in the elevator as it still sat on the top floor.

Frowning in annoyance, Shepard thumbed the talk, "What's up, Garrus?"

"_Well, we finished our sweep and the guys tell me that there are no more Cerberus on board the ship. We're doing a few scans just to be sure, though._"

"That's good news, then."

"_But, a minute ago, one of the shuttles in the bay area just took off and immediately jumped to FTL. We didn't know if it was you or-_"

"No it wasn't," Shepard scowled, "Don't bother trying to track him though. He's long gone by now and we will most certainly meet again in the future."

"_Ah, roger that. Now, if you don't mind, and apologizing in advance for the insubordination, but could we please use the elevator if you two are done in there?_"

"Coming your way," Shepard grumbled as he pressed the button for the second level, switching off the comm at the same time. "You damn turian," he added under his breath.

Stepping off into the CIC, he walked up the familiar ramp as the map of the Milky Way was projected before his eyes. He waved his hands and the whole thing zoomed in to show their current position, a tiny speck in the vastness of space. Shepard put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the empty room, Tali already tinkering away at the console behind him.

With a little paint and some extra crewmembers, it would be like nothing changed at all. He could stand where he once stood and relieve the idea of him at the helm, nothing to stop them as they blazed a trail through history. Him, the best crew anyone could ask for and the best damn ship in the known universe. Excitement gripped Shepard as he thought of all the memories he could reclaim in his nostalgia came flowing back. All thanks to Cerberus, ironically.

He let out a long, low sigh in relief. "It's good to be home," he said to no one in particular.

* * *

Joker groaned in satisfaction as he lowered himself down into the chair. He smoothed his arms over the armrests as he looked up at his grinning commander, "They have leather seats, Shepard. _Leather_. Do you know how much of a difference leather makes compared to the bed of nails military ships have?"

"Can't say that I do, Joker," Shepard shrugged, enjoying the man's awe, "It's not like _I _fared any better, you know."

"But you have that huge bed in your pad now! You will know what it feels like and you can make a case for all Alliance ships to have this option in the future!"

"Leather is expensive, Joker," Shepard pointed out, "Just by adding it to every ship would probably run in millions of credits spent."

"Then I'm just glad that the one ship in the galaxy that has a seat like this happens to be mine," Joker conceded, "Anyway, look at it! It's the Normandy again, Shepard! Better than new!"

Shepard laughed, hardly believing it himself. In the past few hours, life on the new ship had resumed as if a firefight had not erupted within the cramped corridors. Maintenance drones had cleaned up the spent sinks and scoured away the spilt blood. A few marines had been delegated to the task of piling the bodies of fallen Cerberus troopers in the airlock, to which Joker gleefully spaced once they had all been collected.

Garrus had set up shop in the main battery, poring over what appeared to be a set of Thanix cannons that had been installed and was now properly calibrating them. That would keep the turian occupied for a few hours, he was always so anal about the delicate nature of high-velocity weapons to a point where it seemed like an obsession.

Tali, in the meantime, was engrossed in determining the capabilities of the shield generator in addition to fiddling with the main drive in engineering, along with Adams. She had breathlessly reported to Shepard that the ship itself contained a shield with cyclonic barrier technology. Such technology was incredibly rare and worth a small fortune by itself. Opposed to traditional kinetic barriers which merely halt incoming kinetic force, the CBT uses oscillating mass effect fields to _slap _them aside. These shields are much harder to penetrate and if Tali's hack hadn't worked in disabling it earlier, they would have spent a good long while shooting at the ship, wasting valuable time and giving it more chances to slip away.

All of that and more was locked away in the hold of this vessel. Silaris armor, five huge decks, a Hammerhead tank in the bay, comprehensive planetary scanners, and a fully equipped bar were enough cause to drool over.

It was certainly enough to have Shepard constantly try to fight the smile that was gnawing away on his face, trying to break out. He had left his armor in the cabin, after the drones had swept up all the glass scattered from the scuffle with Kai Leng. They had also taken out the door which Shepard had rather carelessly punched through, so it looked like he would have to do without an extra layer whenever he needed to go to the bathroom.

He put a hand to his side and winced as his skin twinged. Chakwas had only slapped a bandage on him because, they both had to admit, there was nothing that they could do in this case. The sword hadn't damaged any of his internal components and the only evidence of pain was the slash just above his hip. It was decided that they best thing to do was to let it heal and hope that she wouldn't have to put more dressings on him.

"It isn't the original," Shepard said as he temporarily took over the role of devil's advocate. "It's just a copy trying to outshine what was a great ship." He then nodded thoughtfully, "But I don't really see why we have to call this ship anything other than what it was based on."

"Pfft, we never got around to properly naming the _last _one. We just called it by its designation or '_the ship_.' It felt rather cold and callous, just naming it like that."

"Then would you object to calling this the _Normandy_? I personally think it's a fine way to pay respect to a ship."

"No argument from me, Shepard," Joker was ecstatic, "_Normandy_ it is."

"Acknowledgement received," a smooth female voice burst from a loudspeaker. "I will alter the registration and subsequently refer to the ship as such from now on."

"What the fuck?" Joker whirled, looking for the source of the voice.

A bright blue hologram suddenly appeared to his left, taking the form of a ball positioned on a stick, "Is there a problem, Mr. Moreau?"

"Umm, Shepard," Joker grasped for reassurance, "What the hell is that?"

"I am the Enhanced Defense Intelligence for the SR-2 class frigate," the hologram clarified. "The crew like to refer to me as EDI."

"Shepard," Joker said slowly, not taking his eyes off the hologram, "I think Cerberus put a goddamn AI on board this ship."

"Yeah," Shepard's eyes widened, "It's not as rigid as a VI and it keeps on referring to itself as if it's alive."

"That is correct," EDI said in the same calm tone. "I am an artificial intelligence that serves as the electronic warfare defense for this vessel. I detected forty-three attempted intrusions into the mainframe three point five hours ago. I attempted to create firewalls to discourage access but I was unable to prevent six individual remote hacks. I will analyze and compensate in the future for better unit cohesion."

"Tali," Shepard spoke quickly into his omni-tool, "Find the AI core of this ship and _shut it down_."

"_Oh, Keelah_," Tali gasped. "_I'm on it._"

"Have I offended?" EDI asked politely.

"I cannot believe this," Joker moaned. "They had to install a goddamn _handicap_ on board this ship! Why did they have to delegate control to a machine?"

"I assure you," the AI defended, "I do not control vital systems on board the SR-2. I merely assist with cyberwarfare and provide assistance. Nothing more."

"Well, you didn't exactly do a bang-up job on that first point there, blinky," Joker shot back. "Despite your so-called abilities we managed to hack through you. Checkmate, bitch."

"The profanity is unnecessary," EDI did not even waver. "My abilities in discouraging rogue individuals from entering this system are substantial but not unlimited. However, deactivating me will not necessarily improve your chances on your mission, it will-"

"Have you found the core yet, Tali?" Shepard asked, starting to get worried.

"_Ten more seconds!_"

EDI was unfazed "My analyzers indicate that the both of you seem stressed. In the event of a workplace disruption, I am authorized to play music to boost morale. This event certainly qualifies."

"This is the last thing I need," Joker covered his face with both hands.

"I think I have a song that should suit the mood," EDI continued on, tone lighter, "It's considered a classic. It's called 'Daisy Bell' and it-" her meandering description was cut off as Joker screamed shrilly. The hologram blinked, "That was a joooooooookkkkeeee…." Static fizzed around it as the AI's voice slowed and lowered in pitch. Two seconds later, EDI's voice faded, the light cutting out soon after.

"_Got it_," Tali called up.

"Jesus _Christ_," Joker gasped. "I sincerely hope that we don't find any more surprises like that. Imagine, it could have killed us in our sleep! Who knows what an AI could…"

"What the hell is going on here?" came a drawl from behind them. Garrus was walking up from the CIC, rubbing his neck, "Did Joker watch another prank vid again?"

"I'd rather watch salarian pornography than go through what just happened here again," Joker clarified before turning sarcastic. "We just had something of a crisis here. So sorry you missed the fun."

Garrus was baffled, "Crisis? I'm going to need a better explanation than _that_. I need details, Joker. Not vagueness or brevity. _Details_."

"He means that we were just in the process of shutting down this ship's AI," Shepard offered. "It gave us a little scare before we were able to control the situation."

"No kidding," Garrus blinked. "An AI, you say? What's Tali have to think of this?"

"I'd have to bet relieved at the moment seeing as it's now removed from the equation. I'm going down right now to find out more, actually."

"I just can't believe this shit," Joker said mournfully. "This ship was so _perfect_. Why did they have to ruin it by installing an AI? I could have done without that…"

Joker continued to ramble but Shepard quietly shared his sentiment. They certainly did not need another nasty surprise like that.

* * *

"I have to admit, Shepard, that the actual hardware is very sophisticated."

Tali and Shepard were standing in the AI core which housed EDI's inner workings as Tali pored over the two rows of dense processors that packed the room. The small hallway was barely big enough to fit the both of them in that regard. The core, despite being offline, hummed as the ship vibrated through its surge into the mass relay. The fleet had regrouped a short time ago and they were now headed to Illium to procure some extra supplies.

Estimated time of arrival: five hours.

"Sophisticated, maybe" Shepard said, "But definitely illegal. Cerberus once again shows that it aims to break every single rule in the book by creating this AI, among other things."

"It's like they didn't learn from our mistake," Tali whispered frightfully.

"More like they considered themselves better. That they could create an AI and therefore control it."

"That could also be the case. Either way, we should destroy it as soon as possible."

"I'm not so sure," Shepard stepped forward a bit, "We've shut it down so there's no way for it to reboot itself but that doesn't mean we can't take a peek inside."

"Are you saying that we _analyze _its code?"

"Why not?" Shepard shrugged, "You have to admit, AI technology has come a long way in three hundred years. I'm not saying we reactivate it right away but maybe we could reprogram it, turn it so that it remains on _our _side and use it as a valuable asset."

"You're still talking about tampering with an AI, Shepard!"

"That decision won't be up to me, Tali," he shook his head, feeling his neck smart suddenly and oddly. "It will be up to _you_. I'm charging you with the task of working on this intelligence and seeing if we can use it, maybe even get some intel on Cerberus along the way."

"Do…" she was horrified, "Do you even realize what you're asking me to do? To essentially modify an artificial intelligence for our own purposes? Do you even remember what happened with the geth? How they rebelled and-"

"I remember perfectly, which is why I'm asking _you _to do it. You have the most experience with synthetic lifeforms and you're a genius at coding," she blushed at that last part but he still didn't stop, "You're the most gifted and careful engineer that I've ever seen and it is _because _of your experience with the geth that I know you will stress _caution _above anything else."

That did it. He had completely stumped her. She still tried to voice a protest before just giving up altogether. Shepard, sensing her frustration, started to formulate another compliment but she spoke first, "And you really think that this will give us an edge over Cerberus?"

"It's your choice, Tali. You have full control over the project. You can choose right here if you want to continue or if you want to take a sledgehammer to the damned thing. Either way, I'll respect your decision and will move on from there."

Tali was touched, "You really _do _trust me completely, don't you?"

"Should I not?"

She dipped her head in a knowing gesture as she mumbled, "_I_ trust you completely..." Weighing her options, she straightened as confidence began to burn through her, "I'll look at it first before I start working on it. I don't want to take any chances with this thing."

He smiled at her before yawning and stretching briefly, feeling his metal joints bend and pop as his back arched. The movement was not entirely necessary but the reflex was so organic that it could not be suppressed. It went along as pure muscle memory. He could also feel a slight soreness over his body. That was unusual, it wasn't a normal reaction following an adrenaline crash. His skin was starting to ache but he couldn't fathom _why_.

"If it doesn't work out," he nodded, waving away the remnant of the yawn, "You can recommend to me the best method of how to dispose of hardware for an AI. I'll understand completely. Right now, I'll be going up to the cabin -my cabin-, to recharge for a bit. I've been on the move and fighting for hours, it seems like and I could use a shower at the very least."

"Like I said before, Shepard," Tali clucked, "You push yourself too hard."

"That possibility is entirely plausible," he sighed in mock surrender. "On to other matters, let's say in...half an hour, you come up and we can talk, like we discussed earlier." He tilted his head with a smile as he motioned towards the door, "Does that sound okay to you?"

"It...it does," she breathed out, "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

_**A/N: Don't think that I wasn't going to include the Normandy here! (Whatever keeps you guys guessing, heh heh).**_

_**And for those of you wondering: yes, these chapters really do get written in two days. With the exception of one chapter (to be released next week if everything continues on schedule) I take my entire time to write these one after the other. To me, it's normal (even though some days I get burned out like you wouldn't believe) but I have fun doing it.**_

_**And isn't that the entire point?**_


	18. Chapter 6: Delightful Confusion

By the time he had reached his cabin, the drones had completed the repairs done during the scuffle with Kai Leng earlier. The glass case that looked out over his bed had been completely removed but the one on the side of the wall was still pristine. The spare models that had been previously contained were now set on the desk, a little scratched after tumbling to the floor, but still intact nonetheless.

The fish in the tank continued along, oblivious. They might not even have known the peril that had transpired in this room not four hours ago. A buzzing sound came from the tank and the automated feeder dispersed some kind of food pellet into the water, the fish hungrily rushing up to eat.

It was hard to believe that this room was all his now. On the original Normandy, his personal space consisted of just a twin size bed and a small desk. Now, his desk was big enough for two, as was the bed but he had a few spare tables, a couch, the freaking fish tank, and access to his own personal bathroom in addition. Shepard figured that he had been in hotel rooms with less plush furnishings.

All of that went disregarded as he strode towards the bathroom, past the empty door frame and to the shower. He mentally went over the time in his head, trying to adhere to the schedule that he had proposed. Satisfied, he stepped into the shower and twisted the dial, letting the water burst down upon him.

Almost immediately, he felt that something was wrong. Multiple things, in fact. For one, as soon as the water hit his body, he felt frustrated with himself as the somewhat muted impacts of drops sounded as opposed to the normal splash, groaning out loud as the realization hit him. He had forgotten to remove his clothes. He must have been more distracted than he thought. Shepard just stared, dumbstruck as his shirt and pants continued to get absolutely soaked from the water, but made no move to get out of the spray. You certainly couldn't make up this sort of oversight, this sort of bumble.

On top of that, the temperature of the shower had been set too high. This was made apparent as steam immediately started to form in the air, clinging to whatever skin was not being touched by liquid, soaking through any dry part of his clothes. He could see his flesh start to turn an angry pink, the hot water scalding.

There was a discomfort, yes, but Shepard suddenly felt tired, as if he could no longer support himself. His vision blurred and the room seemingly _tilted_. He threw out a hand to steady himself but it just slid off the smooth, reflective walls. His legs slipped and he fell to the ground, grunting as his knees made contact first, followed by the rest of him.

Trying to clear his throat of the water that was rushing in overhead, he sat himself up and scooted to the far end of the shower. He was now completely drenched, but at least the water was cooler the further away he was from the head. The steam still filled the general area, making it feel like a sauna before seeping out into the cabin beyond.

This wasn't a malfunction, he reasoned. This didn't have to do with any part of his cybernetic body. The problem was a bit more simplistic than that. Shepard lightly banged his head against the wall a few times in annoyance. He had just pushed himself to his natural limit, is all. His brain had been so saturated from the adrenaline rushes in the last day that it had no time to filter any of it out. He had experienced crashes before but nothing on a scale like this. He felt physically ill, his limbs were weak, the room was spinning before him.

The water continued to rain down on him, perhaps an unintentional symbol of his predicament. Shepard sighed, aware of how ridiculous he must look at the moment, a fully dressed man sitting in the shower and looking rather cross. This was the sort of position to wake up drunkards, not stave off a body failure. But he still did not move.

Shepard did not know how long he had been sitting there because he had closed his eyes a few minutes into his plight, only opening them when he heard the door to his cabin avail itself.

_Oh, no…_

"Shepard?" Tali's voice echoed through. "Are you here?"

He was still working up an explanation as he heard her footsteps come nearer, attracted by the noise of the shower. This was going to be rather awkward.

"Shepard? I- _John_!" She exclaimed as she walked into view, seeing the collapsed human in the stinging spray. Immediately, she rushed over, ducking under the hot water as she twisted the dial back, the flow halting and only a gurgle coming from the drain.

Tali knelt down as she brought Shepard's head upright, which had lolled over from his "rest." "John, what...what _happened_?"

He breathed out the last few drops of water that had beaded on his lips, fluid still flowing off his body as he gave a weak smile, "Aha...you're finally calling me _John _now…"

She was thunderstruck, momentarily ignoring him, "Look at you, John! You're a mess! How long have you been sitting here?"

Shepard groaned, "How long has it been since we talked in the core?"

"Exactly thirty minutes."

"Then it's been about twenty-five minutes," he managed with a chuckle. "Give or take."

Tali knew that she would have no chance at picking the human up by herself so she lunged for a towel that was hanging on a rack nearby. She dropped back down as she gently wiped his face, getting rid of the water that was still perched on his skin. After that was done, she started to work on his arms, chiding out loud.

"You _bosh'tet_. You should have just gone to bed."

There was no point in arguing with her, not when she was like this, "I probably should've."

"You're still soaked. Lift off your shirt and wrap the towel around you."

Now was not the time for modesty, seeing as it was his fault that he had let himself into this improprietous situation in the first place. He gradually removed the clinging fabric, throwing it to the side with a wet splatter as Tali quickly handed him the towel as she glanced to the side, in which he quickly threw around his upper body, already starting to get goosebumps from the air.

Shepard tried going for some levity, "I really need to stop letting you see me in inappropriate situations like this."

She slowly shook her head, fixing her stare on him again, "If anything, it's rather eye-opening. I get to see the real 'you' instead of the legend that everyone whispers with hushed breaths."

"'Legend,' huh?" he said impishly. "And is that a disappointment to you? To know that I am not the perfect man that I am made out to be?"

"Everyone has their faults, John," Tali assured as she sat down beside him, next to the shower where the floor was dry. "You have yours, I have mine. It's what makes us the way we are. It's what makes us _alive_. You don't need to be perfect, it doesn't make me respect you any less."

Shepard laughed, "If anything, I would have used that word to describe _you_, Tali."

"What word?"

"Perfect."

She brought her knees to her chest as she fidgeted, "Now you're just exaggerating."

His voice was serious, "That is most certainly not true. From my perspective, it is not an exaggeration. It couldn't be any more obvious, Tali."

Tali could only stare until her words flowed back into her throat, a combination of exasperation and confusion clogging her speech at the moment. "I- I-..." She hung her head mournfully, "_Damn it_, John, I only wish that you knew...how I felt _-feel- _right now…" Her voice was halting as she sounded close to tears, "You don't even know how I suffered when you were gone, how I _rejoiced _when I learned that you were alive again. There...there was some part of me that _dared _to hope...that things would be different. That you would look at me and see-"

"I understand you're upset but I know what you are going through-"

"_No_," she snapped, "You most certainly do _not _know what I've been going through. Ever since you've walked back into my life I've felt something gnawing at me, something that I have no control over. It's a feeling that has driven me mad for too long and-"

"Tali," Shepard drew back a bit, "If this is too much for you, we can-"

"-I can't bear to keep it in anymore because I _need _to let it out. I _need _for you to understand. Keelah, Shepard, _I love you!_"

The silence was so apparent it was almost deafening. She was starting to rise from the floor, embarrassed, heading towards the exit, shocked at her own admission and wanting to vanish as soon as possible. As fast as he could muster his limb to move, he grasped at her arm before she had reached the apex of her climb. Her head whirled to face him as he gazed at her determinedly.

"You think I didn't know that?" he whispered. "Did you think that I could not possibly understand?"

She was weakly struggling in his grip, pleading, "Let me go, Shepard. _Please_. I- I have to g-go..."

Shepard was now rising to meet her, eyes burning bright, "You don't have to be _afraid_, Tali. Why wouldn't you think that I wouldn't want an amazing woman like _you_?

Tali's entire body seemed to jump out of her skin, "_W-What?_"

"How could I _not _feel the same way about you?"

All resisting instantaneously ceased as her eyes went wide behind her visor, "Y-Y-You...w-want _me?_"

"_Of course_," Shepard empathetically smiled, relief grasping his features. "It took me a while to fully realize but I now know that this is what I truly desire. I am so sorry that I waited this long until now to say it, but you are the most wonderful person I've ever known in my whole life and I'm _thrilled _that you think the same way."

"I...I d-don't _understand_, John..."

"I may never understand it either, but I do know that this is what I've been looking for in the end. Coming from a less than perfect and partial human, I _want _to be with you, Tali, if you want to be with me."

Tali was jerking all over the place in her confusion, "This...I didn't think...wasn't how it was supposed to _go…_"

Shepard quietly led her out of the bathroom and down the shallow steps, setting themselves down on the leather couch as Tali managed to get her mind back on track. Her arms shook, more from disbelief than from actual fear.

"Why me?" she mumbled. "Why would you ever want to be with someone like _me_?"

"Why _not _you? _Anyone _you were with would be the luckiest person in the galaxy."

"I just…" she covered her visor with her hands, "I never thought you would fall for _me_. I never thought that my commander, the savior of the galaxy, would want to be with a lowly quarian like _me_, even though I wanted to be with _him_."

"Lowly quarian? I'll have you know, Tali, that you are a valuable member of my crew, a talented engineer, and a friend that I'm so glad that I ran into all those months ago. That is a far cry from lowly."

"But I'm a _quarian_, John!" she cried. "We're two different species. We can't _be _together!"

He shrugged, "If you're talking about how our amino acids are incompatible from each other's, what difference does that make? I wouldn't let an aspect as trivial as that impair how I truly feel about you."

Tali banged her fists on her legs, "It still doesn't change the fact that I can't even _kiss _you without getting sick! I- I don't want what I want to be a distraction for you. It's selfish of me to even bring it up in the first place-"

"It would only be selfish in the first place if I didn't think that you were the one for me as well," Shepard interrupted, grabbing both her hands. "I will say it as many times as possible: I _want _you, Tali, and no one else."

Even with the translucent covering, Shepard could see her eyes waver which meant that she was most likely crying. She gingerly shrugged out of his grip as she stood up in front of him.

"Look at me, Shepard," she moaned, gesturing to herself. "_Look_. I'm just a stupid girl trapped inside of a suit. How could you ever love _this_? I- I want you to be happy with someone. I-I won't be able to give you that. You would be much happier with someone whose face you could see, without a mask in the way. Someone you could love without having to worry about their health all the time. Someone-"

Shepard quickly rose to his feet. His mouth was in a straight line as he determinedly walked forward. Tali backpedaled a bit in fear before his hands gripped her shoulders firmly, so that she couldn't escape him.

"Tali," his voice was gentle, "You're _wrong_."

The change that transpired was like comparing night from day. Tali's tense posture immediately relaxed as his eyes told her a thousand truths. He really was serious about this. She sensed no hesitation from him, not one tell of a fib.

Could it really be _true?_

She took one step towards him before she spread her arms wide and wrapped them tightly around his body. She buried her head in the top of his chest as he returned the tight embrace. She was shaking something awful as he realized that she was openly weeping. A numb feeling was passing through him as he patted the back of Tali's head to steady her.

Carefully maneuvering back over to the couch, he lowered the both of them down so that none of them was in any danger of toppling over in a faint. Tali, continuing to cling onto him, was still wailing from happiness that he too managed to get out a strangled sob from her overpowering relief. He couldn't share her tears, of course (an absence of tear ducts made this an impossibility) but he could most certainly share her joy.

Her head lifted up, bright, shining orbs glowing in front of him. "_How?_" was the only word she breathed as she tenderly reached up to stroke his cheek, her own way of confirming what was real and what was not.

"I'll tell you how," Shepard whispered back as he took the hand that was brushing him and kissed it on the back. Tali tensed for a moment but immediately relax and let out a little giggle from the tiny, intimate action. "When we first met, I honestly did not know that much about quarians. Go figure, we live in a galaxy where information is readily available at the touch of a button and still I had neglected to even learn about your culture. Therefore, I had no idea what to expect when I first saw you, and I saw a determined, resourceful young woman who had a knack for machinery and a desire to help out in any way possible. All incredibly attractive qualities." Adjusting himself so that they were more comfortable, he leaned back on the couch, the quarian following along so that she was partially atop him.

"I will admit as well," Tali said in the tiniest of breaths, "I thought you were so _handsome _when I saw you. You were...so brave and skilled and...heroic. You were every bit of a dashing knight that I could ever conceive in my mind."

"I think you caught me on one of my better days there. Saving damsels in distress is a serious affair in my book."

"What's a 'damsel?'"

He grinned, "A lady, generally speaking."

She giggled nervously, "I don't really think that describes me at all."

"It's just a figure of speech. As I was saying, you reminded me of myself at that age. But you had accomplished and endured so much more. I will admit, I was fascinated. That's probably why I spent all my time down in engineering with you. I wanted to learn more about you and your people while also getting to spend time with you as well."

"You...you weren't just humoring me?"

"Never," he put a hand flat on the side of her helmet, feeling the soft heat flow onto his palm. "I wanted to make sure that you were as comfortable as possible."

"I'm certainly comfortable _now_," Tali sighed as she laid her head on his chest. "Although...I still don't even know if I'm _dreaming_."

"I can help you with that," Shepard replied as he grasped her under the arms. She let out a tiny squeal as he turned on his side so that both of them were lying sideways on the couch, heads at the same height as they lovingly looked upon the other. Their hands then came up to explore the others facial features. Tali's hands slowly traced over him while Shepard caressed the sides of her helmet.

This went on for a few more seconds before she flushed and her hands retreated. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I'm sorry, I don't know if I'm taking things too fast or if...I'm sorry."

Shepard's initial response was to take her hand in his own and encase it with his fingers, careful not to crush it, "There's no need to apologize. You haven't done anything wrong."

"I...I know, I just-," she seemed to shrink, "I haven't done anything like this before, to be honest."

He laughed in assurance, "I'm entering a brave new world here too. Trust me, I'm just as frightened as you are, probably."

"Oh really, now?" she said coyly. "The great Commander Shepard, afraid of wooing a quarian?"

"I would think that the species has nothing to do with it," he admitted blankly. "I haven't been with _anyone _in...in a long time." His face perked up soon after, "But am I going to have to _order _you to call me 'John' from now on, Tali? You calling me by my rank or last name just sounds so..._cold_."

"Despite the fact that it's rather improper?" she teased, placing her hand flat across his chest.

"Screw it," he proclaimed. "After all that I've been through, I deserve a little leeway." He began ticking the variables off his fingers as she watched in awe, "When I was brought back to life, I was filled with regret. Not completely by what they did to me, but by the fact that I was worried that you might reject me. That I might never get to be with you at all."

"You had the best intentions, John," she confided. "There was no other way I could have known about you."

"Which was why I fought so hard on the liveship. I was fighting to get to you, fighting for the life I thought I'd lost." He stopped as he brought an arm over her in a hug, "And fighting...to keep you alive. My whole life has been one improper situation after the next. What's you calling by my first name going to do?"

"Oh _Keelah_," she moaned. "I completely forgot that you saw me...outside my mask. Did I...was I…?"

"I honestly don't remember, Tali," and Shepard meant it. Recalling the sound of broken glass and his own scream of rage, the heat of battle had rendered him incapable of revisiting the moment when he had looked on her face. She had been beautiful, he knew that he had reacted pleasantly, but it was too much, too fast. A critical bit of information flowing by when thousands of those had raced through his head in those few minutes. There had not been enough time for it to process.

"Not even a little bit?" her voice snapped him from his thoughts, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Only one thing," he did recollect.

"What was it?"

"Your eyes," he said simply.

Her breathing quickened, "What about them?"

"They were beautiful. Blue."

Tali consciously blinked at that. She began tapping her fingers against his chest, still wary at the authenticity of this entire encounter. "And...you really think you'll be happy with _me_?"

"I don't doubt it. If you feel the same way, that is."

Her chest seemed to be bursting with a warmth, spreading throughout her body as her unseen smile seemed to split the heavens above. After all this time, all those unseen efforts, she had finally made it.

"It's the only thing I ever truly wanted," she seemed close to breaking into tears again. "_You're_ the only one that I've ever wanted to see me completely, to see my face without this damned mask in the way."

He frowned, both elated and cautious, "I would like nothing more, Tali. I know that such a thing is a big deal to you, but I don't want to unnecessarily risk your health if it isn't safe…"

"It will never be completely safe," she confirmed. "But there are ways that I can greatly reduce the risks. I...I will admit that the prospect is frightening, but…"

Shepard lightly put his hand over her voice modulator. "Whenever you're ready," he whispered, head lolling back on the couch as he unsuccessfully tried to stifle a yawn. "Whenever you're ready..."

"Okay, John," she murmured, as she felt her head touch the soft material. In front of her, Shepard's eyes had already closed as the rise and fall of his chest denoted that he had fallen asleep. Tali stared at him as he snoozed, admiring the perfect build of his body, the tiniest amount of warmth that conducted through her suit onto her. She smiled at him, concluding that he most definitely deserved a rest after today.

Tali desperately did not want to join him just yet, but rather marvel at her situation that had been a trip through her greatest fantasy. Her commander, Shepard, wanted her. Her, and no one else. If she were to name a day when she had been so completely blindsided by her emotions and wracked with such a happiness, this day would certainly qualify as being among one of her best. It was out in the open now, but she was still shocked at how perfectly their desires had collided together. Was such a thing possible? Could it be, that after all this time, Shepard had really noticed her and was willingly to love her as she loved him from afar? Or was the whole thing a hallucination brought on by a bad air filter? A cruel ploy in which her worst dreams were given form in front of her?

Her answers did not come as her eyes drooped closed for a second. She let them stay there. A few minutes rest was well earned, anyway.

* * *

Garrus tapped his foot on the deck in annoyance as he checked his chronometer. Joker was fiddling with the venting controls in the docks of Illium but he was resigned to waiting by the airlock until his commander came calling.

He was considering striking up a conversation with Joker but he figured that it wouldn't do to get a headache before they left. The human had a nasty habit of being rather argumentative with anyone who crossed his path, even Shepard.

Speaking of, the turian heard the muted _clomps _of boots on steel as Shepard strode forward, in full body armor, down the corridor past the rows of technicians and towards the rather impatient Garrus.

Garrus raised his arm so he could indicate the time, "_One hour_, Shepard. It's been an entire hour since we've docked. I thought you wanted to leave immediately but apparently that wasn't the case."

Shepard sheepishly spread his arms wide in a shrug, "I'm sorry, Garrus. I guess I overslept. I don't really have another excuse for keeping you waiting like that."

"You do know that in the time you've kept me waiting, Mordin had been out and back, and he managed to restock the entire lab to boot."

"Garrus," Shepard face fell, exasperated, "There's only so many different ways I can apologize until it becomes forced, you know."

The turian perked up, "I'm just messing with you, you know."

"You're not funny."

"So I've been told." Garrus cocked an eyebrow as a grin passed over Shepard's mouth, even though his eyes weren't focused on him directly, "Or _am _I?"

"Hm?" Shepard said, distracted, "Oh, that's still a negative on that, Vakarian. I was just thinking about...something else."

"Uh-huh," Garrus remained unconvinced. "Anyway, we waiting on Tali? She's kept me waiting just as long as you."

"Tali is…" Shepard looked up as he searched for the proper phrase, "...not coming."

"That's odd. You'd think that she would have wanted to do a little grocery shopping for the ship. Bound to be a few odds and ends that she would have liked."

"She probably would have," he admitted as they stepped into the airlock, the pressurization process already commencing, "But she's still sleeping at the moment. However, I believe I know exactly what to get for her. A few tech upgrades wouldn't hurt would it?"

"Still sleeping? Damn, that's impressive. I could never manage more than three hours at a time in those uncomfortable sleeper pods. I'll have to ask her for her secret."

"She…" Shepard rubbed the back of his head, "She isn't in the pods."

Garrus blinked, "But if she isn't in the pods then where…" He stopped as Shepard tried and failed to hide the small smile on his face. The turian's brain clicked when he put two and two together and the solution was revealed, "No..._way…_"

"If you say '_I told you so_,' I'm going to strangle you right here in this airlock, Garrus," Shepard threatened, but he do so in a flippant manner.

"I...I...don't even know what to _say_," Garrus was completely flabbergasted. "_Spirits_, I knew that you two had a thing for each other but-"

"Leave it, Garrus," Shepard sighed.

"Are you two 'official' now? Because it's been a long time coming-"

"Leave it."

"A _real _long time, as in I was going to have to just shout it outright-"

"_Leave it_."

"Fine," Garrus threw up his hands, "Okay, I'll keep quiet...for now."

"Anything for a moment's peace, you damn turian."

"And now I've been 'third wheeled,'" the turian sighed. "If it was awkward for me before, it's only going to go downhill from here."

"God help me," Shepard said to himself as the airlock door raised. They barely made it five steps out into the windy air that nipped at their faces before halting in their tracks. The walkway vibrated as a third set of feet were chancing upon it. Both Shepard and Garrus started, squinting in confusion at the person who was quickly walking along the gate to meet them, past a pair of LOKI mechs.

Garrus coughed in surprise, as he recognized the person, "Huh. I wasn't expecting _that_."

Shepard shrugged, "Not this quickly, at least."

* * *

Her transition from her slumber came gradually, as if her sleep was trying to pull her back into the blissful dark. She let out a huge yawn as she could feel the surface of the couch mold comfortably to her body. She reached out across her and abruptly sat up when she grasped only air.

Tali searched around the cabin, looking for the person she had spent the night with. Her breath was starting to calm down after the initial shock, but she was still wary. _Had it all been a dream?_ If so, it had been a very pleasant dream but a disappointment nonetheless because it had seemed so _real_.

Interestingly, her dream failed to explain exactly how she had gotten into Shepard's cabin in the first place. Certainly she didn't have a sleepwalking problem that she knew of. She sat up, pressing her fingers to where her temples corresponded to on her helmet, as if that would drive away her sleepiness when she saw the datapad perched on the ottoman in front of her.

The screen was blinking with an unread message. Curious, she picked it up and thumbed the lock screen. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized that it was addressed to _her_. Anticipation broiling, she hungrily began to read the short note.

_Tali,_

_I'm sorry for not waking you up when I did. You were so out of I that I just didn't want to disturb you. You did have a hectic day so I didn't want you to start a new one with relatively little sleep. I don't plan on being gone long, just for a few hours. When I get back, I would like for us to continue our original conversation. I meant what I said last night._

_Feel free to come up to the cabin any time you want. You won't need my permission any more._

_Thank you, for everything._

_-John_

The datapad fell from her fingers as the last line was comprehended in her mind. She felt like screaming and jumping in glee as the last few strands of doubt were cleansed. It wasn't a dream after all, or a hallucination, or any byproduct of a destabilizing mental state.

_He meant what he said. He wants me._

Tali held her head in her hands as she sobbed in relief. Her tears hit the bottom of her helmet and were subsequently drained but she didn't care, she let them flow. Breath shuddering, she wept out loud in the quiet area, thanking the human to herself as she blossomed from his absolute and pure kindness.

She suddenly bounded to her feet and raced to the elevator, swinging her arms wildly. She felt hungry so she pressed the button for the mess. The tube of nutrient paste that was waiting for her wasn't exactly worth the rush but she there was no stopping her pace at this point. Tali practically leaped out of the lift as it opened the tiniest of cracks and walked quickly over to the makeshift kitchen in the corner. It was a quiet hour so there wasn't anyone in the mess as far as she could see. She walked behind the counter and bent over to open the cabinet with her rations. Selecting a random tube, she pulled back, kicking the door shut as she walked over to the table.

"Hello, Tali," a smooth voice sounded.

Since she had been so preoccupied with her thoughts at the time, she did not even know the person was already seated at the table hidden behind a column when she entered. Her giddy nature might not have been questioned by anyone not associated with Shepard's squad but this is where that particular person qualified. It had been a long time since she had seen her, since anyone had seen her, yet she was right here in front of her a warm smile on her face as she rose to meet the quarian, pushing her chair in.

"_L-Liara?_" Tali gasped, clutching her tube so that it wouldn't slip from her grasp and shatter on the floor. The asari glided over to her and wrapped her long slender arms around her in a soft hug. Tali, bewildered out of her mind from the events of the previous day, was somewhat delayed when she also hugged the asari, limbs rather numb as the blood flowed from them.

"Goddess," Liara breathed, "It is so good to see you again, Tali."

"What are you _doing _here?" Tali exclaimed happily as she stepped back a pace, "How are you on the Normandy right now? Did John send for you?"

Liara laughed, "Did you know actually he did? He-...did you just call him _'John_?'"

Tali's face fell instantaneously in her mortification, "_Oh_...well, you see...it's, um…"

Liara grinned, "I guess that explains why Garrus was guffawing so hard and why Shepard couldn't keep that smile off his face earlier. I'm really happy for you, Tali."

"He's...I just...you are?"

"_Yes_," Liara beamed, "He's a good man, Tali. You are incredibly lucky to have someone like him."

This was getting more and more surreal by the minute. It didn't feel like she had been with him that long and already she was being congratulated. Perhaps it hadn't fully sunk in yet with her, but there would be plenty of opportunities for that later on.

"You…" Tali replied as both of them sat down across from each other, "You're acting like this was something you were expecting. That...that me and John would...you know…"

Liara giggled, "Tali, I don't mean to ruin any preconceptions you might have had but the attraction between you two was not exactly a well-guarded secret."

"Wait..._what?_"

"You guys weren't as subtle as you thought," Liara was fighting the urge to laugh, "I mean, you were always following him around and he was always listening to you back on the old Normandy. I had to convince Garrus not to start a betting pool when you actually were going to be a 'couple,' I believe is the correct human terminology, because I thought it would be mean."

"Well...thank you, Liara," Tali mumbled, shocked, starting not to feel as hungry as she originally thought. "I guess."

"Don't take it personally, Tali. At least, it seems like you've been kept busy these past few weeks."

"Something like that," Tali nodded. "But what about you? Last we spoke, we didn't really discuss anything much of substance. Of course, that was when John was...gone."

"That is true. Things have been rather muted as of late. At the very least, there a lot less hassle with saving the galaxy than having to pay rent."

"About that, there was some crazy rumor that you were working with the _Shadow Broker_?"

Liara gave a dismissive wave of the hand, "I had a temporary alliance with him, nothing more. He wanted me to bring up an accounting of a few individuals outside of his usual circle of contacts due to me being a freelance information broker. And that's it. Just a piece of a much larger puzzle."

"Anyone I would know?"

"Not really. Most of them were dossiers on Cerberus officers. One in particular, a colonel named Rukin of sorts, a rather nasty man. I'm not sure why the Broker would have wanted me to collect files of people of his calibre but an assignment is an assignment."

Tali looked down at the dull grey table, "I've met him before. The colonel, I mean."

"You have?" Liara looked surprised, "When?"

"A few weeks ago on my old ship, the _Rayya_," her gaze was as cold as she brought her head up. "He's dead."

"Was it Shepard who-?" Tali nodded, causing Liara to stop mid-sentence before shaking her head with some slight amusement. "That man, he really _does _care about you, you know that?"

"I do," Tali replied thoughtfully. "Did he ask you to come with us? Is that why you're here?

"He did. He had mentioned that he was flying around in a fancy new Normandy and that he was looking to reunite the old crew again. I don't really have anything tying me to Illium at the moment so I couldn't resist accepting."

"Shepa- _John_, I mean, does have a way with words," Tali tugged anxiously at her hood, "He always has."

Liara gave a coy look, "Did he use his eloquence on you too?"

"I- I guess...he said he only...he only wanted _me_."

Liara sighed dreamily before straightening and giving a shy laugh, "I'm sorry, but I've never seen you this _happy _before. It's very heartwarming, to say the least."

Tali couldn't control her bout of giggles at that, "Oh, _Keelah_, I probably don't even realize how much of a kid I sound like right now. I'm fawning over a _guy _with a friend, a guy who's technically my...boyfriend now." She paused, "That sounds so weird..._'boyfriend_.'"

"It's the truth now," Liara shrugged. "A reaction like this is perfectly normal for someone who's in a relationship."

"It's going to be a while before I get used to any of these words," Tali conceded. "'Relationship,' 'boyfriend,' 'love.' It's a brand new experience for me."

"As it is for me," a voice called from the doorway. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not looking forward to it."

Tali jumped out of her chair and Liara whirled around. Shepard was standing next to the pathway to the elevator, arms crossed over his chest with a smile on his face. Garrus was standing beside him, rolling his eyes and earning an elbow to the ribs. Shepard fixed Tali with a warm look as she too smiled underneath her helmet.

"Hello, Tali."

"Hello, John,"

"Goodbye, Tali and John," Garrus muttered as he stalked off to the battery. Both of them chortled for a bit watching the turian depart before walking up to each other. Tali held out a small, petite hand that Shepard grasped in earnest, causing yet another dreamy sigh to erupt from Liara.

Their fingers melded together, exploring their radically different sizes and shapes. Each one enjoyed the foreign feeling of what it was like to have an odd-numbered appendage grasp their own. The tenderness of their touch, the softness of their hands.

"I think," Tali breathed, "That I'm looking forward to it as well."

* * *

_**A/N: Well, there was bound to be a chapter full of fluff. No avoiding that one.**_

_**And I guess I finally now have my first story to go over 100,000 words so I can now die happy with this milestone achieved.**_

_**Just kidding, that would disappoint a great many people, I'm sure.**_


	19. Chapter 7: Nice Try

Some damnable noise was beeping in the background.

Shepard groaned as his eyes opened a crack, soft blue light impacting gently but making him wince nonetheless. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the stars slowly fly by the skylight and eventually mustered the strength to tilt his head up a tiny bit.

The fish in the tank were still swimming amicably, their mindset purely on when their next meal was going to arrive. The automated feeder took care of that for him, Shepard didn't have time to look after them. He still had trouble looking after himself sometimes. He grumbled as the blanket crumpled underneath him as he laid there, the incessant sound still seeping into his head.

The beeping was coming from his desk, the console to be specific. A hail. More than likely that if someone was hailing him and if it was coming to him directly in his cabin, then it must be urgent. But who would call in the middle of the night, technically speaking? It had been almost three weeks since he had a call from anyone that provided him with any worthwhile information and since then, his entire fleet had been resigned to scraping the far corners of the Terminus for any clues about the Collectors. Ever since Horizon, they had hit a brick wall. No sightings to report. Not even a hint about another missing colony, which was kind of a good sign by itself but counter-productive in the fact that no new leads were being produced.

Shepard's left arm was pinned but he didn't need to guess how that had happened during the night. In fact, most of his left side was underneath something…some_one_ to be exact. Tali quietly whimpered as she too began to wake. Her arms had been thrown over his head, as both of them had fallen asleep wrapped in each other. Tali's whole body was up against him, _pressed_ into him more like, as her affection and heat circulated throughout their forms. Her left leg was positioned over his, a desperate maneuver as she had strived for more contact, more touches, more of anything she could possibly think of.

Tali had been like this for the past couple weeks, not that he could blame her. She was absolutely besotted. The woman had never been in a serious relationship before, or any kind of friendship that revolved around romantic feelings in general. To see her stumble over her own words in the beginning was simply adorable, she had absolutely no experience with this sort of thing. It wasn't an achievement that Shepard himself could match but he was enjoying himself nonetheless as he guided her through unfamiliar territory, showering her with attention and all the time she could ever ask for.

When they were with company, the two did their best to keep their relationship on the down-low. It didn't matter that everyone on the ship knew about them, but they felt that it would be more professional if they wouldn't shamelessly flirt in front of random people, even friends. Shepard had suggested this to Tali, a fact that she agreed with immensely. On the other hand, whenever they had some time alone in his cabin (sometimes in the elevator if they couldn't wait), it would always be her that would attack him mercilessly, jumping at him and clinging to him as if she were about to fall off a cliff, causing him to sweep her up in a fierce hug, laughing at the same time. Their evenings would usually be spent lying on the bed or on the couch, trapped in an embrace, saying soft words to assure the other or sometimes saying nothing at all and just enjoying the company one brought to the other.

Once the cat was out of the bag, there was no more hiding to Shepard that the quarian was madly in love with him. It was not like it was that well hidden to begin with but now that they had nothing to conceal from the other, he felt he could breathe a little easier at not having to control the monster within him that had been clamoring for release.

If anything, _her_ relief was more apparent. Tali had become so smitten with the commander that her desperation to give him her heart throbbed with such intensity that some days it had actually hurt and left her breathless. At first, whenever they were alone for the first few days, she was unable to stop shaking until Shepard would hold her hands to keep them from twisting in a knot in her nervousness. Now, she no longer felt huge pangs within her at the sight of Shepard but still got the occasional notion to rip off her mask and just kiss him, throwing aside all ramifications in the process. Of course, she hadn't become that desperate yet but that new hunger was growing within her until it would start to gnaw at her again. Time was not on her side.

Both of their conflicting emotions had been quelled once Shepard and Tali had begun to get used to the idea of them being together. Shepard had still wondered if he was doing the right thing. Had this truly been his path all along? The thought of a ruined, cybernetic organism finding true happiness in the end? It seemed unfathomable from his point of view. If anything, the prospect should have scared Tali away.

She, ironically, would have none of it. Tali could only see Shepard in front of her (once she had properly accepted the ludicrous idea of him in that stupid body) and not a freak of nature, no matter how hard the truth hit her in the face. Just the idea that it really was him, even though he was surrounded by all that metal, was enough to overcome any prejudices she had toward the very concept, exhibiting a newfound maturity on her part. A maturity that Shepard would be eternally grateful for, he reflected.

The logistical problems of a human dating a quarian were negligible as they simply ignored any future problems this would present. The different chirality between their bodies was glossed over to the point where it became a mental footnote. It would mean that they would need to be a little more cautious when Tali was ready to show her face (completely and on her own terms) but they were fully prepared for that inevitability, whenever it might arise. The both of them just chose not to address it at the moment. Personally, Tali was unconcerned of what would happen ten years down the line, for she was more focused on what was happening _now_.

As was he, holding onto the slim quarian as she gradually woke from her sleep, hearing her soft sighs as her breath deepened and her arms started to caress his skin. He smiled, the soft flesh curving upwards. Yes, now was a good moment to focus on.

Except that the goddamn beeping in the corner was in the middle of ruining it for him.

Frustrated at how unceremoniously he'd been roused, Shepard slowly ducked under Tali's arms as she instinctively curled up, not having her human to hold on to any longer. He sat on the edge of the bed and glanced back toward her as she feebly stirred. If he could see her in a situation such as this and have his heart melt at the sight of her (which it was currently in the process of doing), then he may have made the right choice after all.

The thought gave him new life as he walked up the small steps, yawning. He sat down in front of the console and hit the "accept" button and watched as the holoscreen flared in front of his cabinet. Shepard immediately sat up as he saw Admiral Hackett's grim face stretched before him, hands behind his back as he regarded the commander.

"Shepard," the admiral began, not wasting any time with small talk, "We've received some information over here at Arcturus and I wanted to contact you immediately."

"What about?" Although Shepard's voice was quiet, he could still see the quarian on his bed from the corner of his eye sleepily sit up, attracted by the noise, her back arching as she yawned.

"Just an hour ago, we received a coded message from a turian patrol in the Han system. They claim to have encountered the Collector ship in the area and set upon it."

"And?" Shepard pressed cautiously.

"The patrol was destroyed but they managed to relay that they had disabled the ship, rendering it a sitting duck."

Shepard brought a hand to his chin, "The turians must have had some luck on their side. It's hard to imagine that they could be capable of taking on a ship that size and doing that much damage at all."

Hackett did not look convinced, "So they claim."

"You have reservations?" Shepard asked.

"When we received the message," Hackett cleared his throat, "We immediately set our analysts on it to confirm its authenticity."

"You found something, didn't you?"

The admiral nodded, "Turian military messages contain two levels of encryption. One primary and one secondary. The secondary encryption was corrupted to the point where it set off our virus alerts. We had to quarantine soon after."

Shepard blinked, "So the message was faked."

"My thoughts exactly, commander. However, the coordinates in the message provided did correspond from the location the message was sent so there is some truth to it."

"Those little bastards. The Collectors set a trap for us." Shepard was torn between the outright audacity of the bugs and to the desperation that they had exhibited by sending the message out in the first place. A clever ploy, if it had worked.

"That looks like the case," Hackett agreed, "I don't know how you want to proceed from here, Shepard, but I don't really see the overall outcome changing either way."

"Neither do I, admiral. I'm going to pay them a little visit regardless, but they don't know that they lost the advantage." He laughed at his newfound fortune, "They no longer have the element of surprise and I think I can use that against them."

Hackett gave a small smile, "If you think a detour to the Collector ship is a necessary option, then I would advise extreme caution. Be on your guard and look to disable it further in any way that you can. I would recommend that removing their engines would be key in halting any further attacks on any more colonies."

"Got it, then. I'll set disabling the ship any way I can as the primary objective and I'll look to finding any of the missing colonists if they are still aboard." His face brightened as another idea popped up, "Also, I think it would be a good idea if I find any information in their network that gives us a clue to where their main base resides. There's got to be a record on board that ship."

"Sounds like a solid strategy. It may give us a clue to wherever that Omega 4 relay leads to. Just make sure you have an escape plan ready if things go south."

"I plan on taking this one as carefully as I can, admiral," Shepard stood up and saluted. "You'll be hearing from me later today."

"I wish you luck, commander."

As the holoscreen winked out, Shepard could hear a faint shuffling noise behind him. He didn't bother to turn around in his seat, soon feeling two slender arms snake around him and the warm surface of Tali's helmet nuzzle the side of his head.

"It looks like we have another job to do," Tali sighed.

Shepard turned his chair around, causing Tali to back up and sit on top of his desk, pushing aside a spare datapad to make room for her. She gripped the edges as she looked at him anxiously. It wasn't hard to tell that something was on her mind. "You're worried," he noted.

She timidly nodded, "Aren't you?"

He grasped for words as he could only shrug, "Not about myself, no."

"You're concerned about me, right?" She hopped off the desk as she reached for his hand, "Why?"

He stood and obliged her, "Because…I have someone to lose now. I'm worried that something might happen to you."

"Are you still remembering what happened on the _Rayya_?" When he nodded she continued, "That was why you didn't ask me to come with you on Horizon, right?"

Her insight was well founded and accurate. Intelligence was clearly a virtue that Tali had in spades and it impressed Shepard to no end how she could analyze a situation and come up with an unequivocally correct solution. "It…I just…" Shepard sighed, frustrated, "I thought I was going to lose you that day. I had put myself through hell to find you and for the longest time…I thought that my efforts were going to be in vain. I was frightened…so scared that you would die and…and I thought I never would get the opportunity to tell you how I truly felt about you…"

"But that didn't happen," Tali placed a hand flat on his chest, just over where the muted responses from his heart reverberated. "I'm with you _now_."

"But I can't _protect_ you," he grimaced. "Not completely. That was why I didn't want you to follow me to Horizon. I didn't know what the Collectors were capable of, if I wouldn't be able to stop them, or if I would be put in a situation where I would have to watch you succumb to a deadly infection, or if-"

"_Stop_," Tali begged, placing a finger on his lips. "Please stop, John. Nothing has changed for you to be concerned about me like this. I've been with you on countless missions before, why should this one be any different?"

"It's because I have _you_ now," Shepard indicated as he held her. "_That's_ what's changed."

"And that's why I'm coming with you."

Shepard blinked, startled, "No, Tali, you're _not_. There is-"

Tali vehemently shook her head, "I'm not even going to hear you try to talk me out of this one, you _bosh'tet_. I walked into this wanting to be by your side for the whole thing and that's where I'll be. You may not worry about yourself because you're a little more hard-headed than the rest of us but that doesn't mean that _I_ don't. And _someone_ needs to worry about you if you can't even be bothered."

It irked Shepard to no end that she had thrown his own logic in his face. The feeling soon passed, however, with a glowing pride at how much more confident she now was. She had a protective instinct towards him, a clear indication at how much he meant to her. But were his own notions of keeping Tali safe the right choices or merely selfish ones? With Tali acting as a moderator, nothing was ever clearly cut-and-dried. He still had to get used to ideas filtering by her before he could act appropriately. They still had a lot to learn.

Shepard sat down, face locked in a pondering expression but mind already made up, "All right, Tali." He held up a finger as she visibly relaxed, "But, you stay with me at all times. I've let the Collectors take me once, I will not let them take anyone else. And if that means that I have to stay behind so that you can escape, that is what I'll do."

"_No_, John…you can't-"

"I can and I will. I have a duty to my crew…and a duty to _you_…that means that I have to make sure that no one gets hurt whatever the cost."

"If you even _think_ of leaving me alone-"

"That is _not_ my intention," Shepard asserted. "If I have something to lose that means that you now have something to lose as well. I don't think that I could ever leave you willingly, to be honest. Not after all that's happened."

"You better be telling the truth, you bastard," Tali weakly hit him in the chest.

"Trust me, Miss Zorah," Shepard assured, "It is next to impossible to lie to you."

* * *

"_Damn_, that ship is big," Joker frowned. "And they wanted us to think that a simple turian patrol took it out?"

The Collector ship sat dead ahead, lifeless and dark. The odd design certainly belonged to the enigmatic race, metal and rock fused together in an odd blend of the bizarre. The front of the ship, normally bathed in yellow light, was black as it appeared that all systems had indeed been powered down, as expected.

"Looks like intel was right for once," Joker continued as he scrolled through various screens, "It certainly appears like it was disabled, that's for sure. Even their shields are down."

"Except for the fact that there aren't any blast marks scorching the hull," Shepard noted dryly, standing behind the pilot.

"It's like they took us for complete idiots, commander."

"Then we have a chance to make them pay dearly for their mistake." He opened a channel to the ships traveling alongside them, "_Bergensen_, this is Normandy. Arm all torpedoes and target the engines of the craft. Position yourself accordingly and await my mark. _Pompeii_, find the weapons systems and work to shut those down when I give the order. _Antietam_, you work on the life support systems. _Amarillo_ and _Titan_, you hold fast and fire at will once two of the corresponding systems are destroyed unless notified otherwise."

All five craft reported their acknowledgment and Shepard summarily closed the channel, glancing at Joker. "It pays to be prepared," he shrugged. "We've got our contingency in place."

"No complaints here."

Ten minutes later, the shuttle departed the confines of the sleek vessel as it headed for the looming monstrosity out in front. It seemed that the Kodiak was more like a speck of sand compared to the size of the Collector ship. There was a docking area of sorts so the shuttle was set down there, surrounded by the cavernous rock that defined the entire ship.

Garrus and Kaidan were put on guard duty, their last resort of backup, while Liara and Tali followed Shepard into to the depths of the dank maze. Condensation coated the walls of the ship, pouring off the rock as the sounds of gurgling water rushed around them. Enormous pipes ran up and down the length of the ship, containing god-knows-what. Mercury dripped in a pool over by the corner, slow ripples widening from each drop as it expanded.

Everyone in the group was fitted with a fully sealed suit (Tali, characteristically, did not need to change) that prevented them from breathing in the atmosphere of the Collector ship. Although scans did report that the air was indeed breathable, for some species at least. The air was actually a toxic combination of nitrogen and methane, therefore a suit breach for anyone in would be a disaster in here.

They started to ascend a steep incline, trying not to lose their footing on the slippery rock. Liara looked all around the hallway, fascinated. Tali shivered in disgust at the very thought of being here. Shepard continued on, determinedly and unfazed.

Something in the corner caught his eye and he walked over to discern it before it registered in his mind. He quickly turned away, shutting his eyes closed as he quietly swore to himself, hate and rage fluttering.

Liara and Tali caught up, the latter putting a hand on his shoulder to relax him while Liara's eyes were wide. "Bodies?" she asked out loud, looking at the pile of rotting corpses that the Collectors had carelessly disregarded. By the looks of things, they had been there a while. Whatever flesh was exposed was rotting and grey, ragged muscle torn away from bone as the liquefied portions coagulated at the bottom of the pile.

"It doesn't make any sense," Tali said, eyes wide. "Why would the Collectors just leave humans here to rot? Why kill them?"

"Experimentation," Shepard guessed through clenched teeth. "Torture, sport. It doesn't matter." He turned around as he looked down on the poor souls that had never made it out of this place. "We can't do anything for them now, but we can make their tormentors pay."

"This brutality," Liara whispered, "This slaughter. What could possibly be worth it?"

The asari's questions were not answered as the group slowly trudged away from the pile. They never looked back.

* * *

_SLAM_

The three of them halted as the door slid shut in front of them, blocking the way ahead. They had found themselves in the middle of a crossroads, with two doors in the room not including the way they had come in. The door on the right was closed so they naturally headed towards the one on the left until it slammed in their faces. Because there were no other ways to traverse, they were essentially, for the moment, stuck.

"This is rather inconvenient," Tali muttered as she engaged her omni-tool, trying to interface with the door directly. "I can try to hack the door but the protocol it uses is rather ancient. It will take me time to get through."

"How much time?" Shepard asked.

Tali frowned, "An hour…at least."

"That's too long," Shepard sighed, "We don't _have_ an hour until the Collectors get wise and figure out we're here."

"I _know_, John," she snapped, "But it's the only safe option we have."

The way she put her sentence gave Shepard pause, "The only _safe_ option?"

Tali hung her head, "The only other way that I know of that would get us through the door quickly would be…" She took a breath, "Would be to reactivate the AI on board the Normandy and set it to work."

"EDI?" Shepard breathed. "You're absolutely certain?"

"No, I'm not absolutely certain," she admitted. "But I don't see that we have any other choice. I wouldn't even recommend doing this if I had the slightest inkling that there would be another way."

"Have you even finished modifying its code? Making sure the AI is safe to use, I mean?"

"Not completely. I already altered the information packets last week so that it corresponds to your commands but I am still in the process of filtering out any spyware embedded in the firewalls. There's no telling that it won't relay any information back to Cerberus but… It…I would have to guess that it's eighty-five percent complete, but that's the best I've got."

Shepard glanced at the impenetrable obstacle, the flat surface mocking him. The hiss of steam from the pipes next to him filtered through his helmet and he sighed. "Eighty-five percent will have to do. If I get the slightest indication that the AI won't work out, we shut it down and abort the mission. Agreed?"

"You won't get any argument from me," Liara nodded.

"Me either," Tali added.

Shepard then opened his own omni-tool as he typed in an order to the men belowdecks. Right after, he spoke to the pilot of the Normandy, prepared for the man's less than calm reaction, "Joker? Just giving you a heads up that the AI on board will be reactivated shortly. Do you copy?"

"_WHAT?_" the man's cry was so loud that even Liara and Tali were startled by it. "Are you _insane_, Shepard? You're going to let the fucking HAL 9000 take over my ship?"

The man's paranoia could be so enraging sometimes, even if it was slightly deserved, "The AI does not have control over the Normandy's systems, Joker, and it is fully incapable of killing anyone on board unless it politely suggests to you that you walk out of the airlock. We just need it to perform remote hacks and get us some valuable intel behind enemy lines."

"_Opening a channel now, sir_," a trooper from the AI core now hailed, interrupting the conversation.

Joker had overheard that exchange, "Oh, _great_. Now I have to contend with the sex toy bobbing up and down on my display. Hey, Shepard, maybe when this is over, you can-"

A blinking dot on his tool was indicating that someone from the Normandy was requesting a private hail. Joker was still practically screaming over the mic and not providing anything useful to the conversation so he just cut him off, mentally wincing at what the man's reaction would be like afterward, when he acknowledged the caller as the smooth voice greeted him.

"Hello, Commander Shepard."

"Hello, EDI," he proceeded cautiously. He didn't really have that much experience with AIs before so he thought that conversing with the same level of courtesy would put the both of them on equal terms and not tip a potentially volatile situation.

Tali was shifting nervously beside him, not that he could blame her. Tali carried an immense distrust for any synthetic intelligence. She even hated having to work with a VI, for that matter. It didn't take a genius to know that quarian and synthetic animosity was cultivated from when the geth ousted their creators from their homeworld three centuries ago. It was a conflict as deep and fractured as the one between the krogan and the turians, so rooted in a lack of faith that any hope of resolution was considered utter madness.

"Is there a problem that I might offer assistance to?" The AI was rather apathetic to the fact that it had been so rudely shut down weeks ago. It certainly wasn't the most organic of reactions to forgive and forget so easily.

Shepard decided to cut to the chase and not waste any more time. "We need to get this door open," he told it, a part of him wondering if the AI would know which door he was talking about. It might be monitoring the tracking devices in their armor and using their mounted cams to get a layout of the area. AIs were quite advanced as they interfaced with every conceivable detail in their environment.

"Certainly. Rerouting access through firewall 1433 and interfacing with node 329 now." A few seconds passed before a green icon popped up signaling that the door was unlocked and it soon opened, enabling them to leave.

"Goddess," Liara gasped. "That was certainly quick."

Tali was stunned, "Even I have to admit, _I'm_ impressed."

"Thanks, EDI," Shepard replied, still a little disconcerted at thanking an artificial intelligence but holding to the niceties all the same.

"I am always here to assist," the AI replied with a hint of cheer in its voice.

They were traveling deeper and deeper now, encountering no more locked doors in their way. Their pistols were out but they were pointed down at the ground. All of them were on edge but they had not seen any enemies in a while for them to be fully on guard. Their adrenaline was starting to die down, even though they were continuing to get hopelessly lost in a nest of angry bugs.

A ray of artificial light cast a bright spot on the ground in front of them. Shepard moved underneath it and let his visor adjust to the illumination as it darkened, enabling him to see better. Behind him, he heard quiet sounds of awe from Liara and Tali as they caught sight of the view beyond.

The hole they peered up at led to a huge cavern. The wall that they could see in the distance looked like it ran the length of the ship. What was odd about this is that the wall was covered with some strange pods, and from what Shepard could see with his zoomed in optics, those were the same pods that he saw on Tali's surveillance video and the ones on Horizon. They were the pods that transported the colonists away.

"Oh my god," Shepard said in wonderment. "There must be hundreds of thousands of them."

"They can fit this many in here?" Liara's hand came to where her mouth was, despite her helmet blocking it.

"But we still don't know _why_," Tali said. "What could they possibly do with so many humans?"

The sight of the hollow momentarily took Shepard's attention away to the point where he didn't notice that EDI was hailing him again. He answered it but set the protocol to automatically allow the AI to speak. It was rare that AIs wasted anyone's time with useless information, anyway.

"Shepard, I have run a scan of the ship and I detect no life signs in any of the pods."

He blinked, "So all of them are empty?"

"Only a third appear to be occupied, however. It is likely that when the ship lost power, the humans inside perished."

That made no sense to any of them. Shepard was incredulous, "So why would they go to all the trouble of collecting all these colonists if they're just going to discard them like toys? The risks of this 'trap' seem to outweigh the reward by quite a sizable margin, in my opinion."

Tali nudged his arm, "It means that we won't be putting any innocents in harm's way when we have to destroy the place."

"Tali'Zorah is correct," EDI concurred. "However, there remains insufficient data for a more thorough analysis. My sensors indicate that there is an accessible console roughly one hundred meters ahead. If you allow me to interface directly, I may be able to manifest the true intentions of the Collectors and possibly glean additional information."

"It's as good a plan as any," Shepard agreed. "We will be there momentarily."

For once, momentarily was not an exaggeration on Shepard's part as they managed to reach the room in question in less than a minute. The dusty air at this point had coated their suits in a thin layer, as had the computer console that they had in their sights. Green icons flowed from screens hovering over it, a mass of pipes lay tangled beyond. This was clearly an important section of the ship based on the general layout but what was odd about the entire setup was the object that was positioned to the left of the console.

On the slab, the Collector laid perfectly still, its four eyes staring straight up. The torso had been eviscerated, but it didn't look like it had been torn open. Rather, it appeared to be a surgical cut, the organs carefully pushed aside as if it were a specimen for dissection. Yellow fluid stained the table below. There were no additional instruments around to suggest that any form of painkillers had been used on the alien. It was hard to determine whether it had died from shock or blood loss and neither option was weighted of much importance in Shepard's mind.

Liara lightly pushed him aside to try and decipher the results, "This is rather strange. It appears as if they were experimenting on one of their own. I can't make out the data, though."

"EDI," Shepard said into the comm, "Can you make any sense of this?"

"Patch me in, Shepard, and I'll see what I can do."

Shepard used the hardpoints to set up a bridge between the Collector vessel and the Normandy. Next to him, Tali opened up her own omni-tool as she carefully monitored the connection.

"I've got the line secured," she told Shepard. "I'll be able to prevent detection by remotely closing firewalls as long as EDI is in the system."

"Good thinking," Shepard was impressed by her ingenuity to the task at hand.

"I've analyzed the data, Shepard," EDI's calm voice announced two seconds later. "It appears that the Collectors were using this subject to compare their own genetic code between humans, their samples most likely obtained from the ones you saw earlier in the ship."

"Anything of note?"

"Yes. The Collectors have a quad-strand DNA structure, as opposed to humans who are dual-strand."

"Quad-strand?" Shepard was confused. "All the other species in this galaxy are dual-strand. What exactly is the significance of this?"

"The genetic and physical implications are unknown, but there is only one species that has been confirmed to have a quad-strand structure based on historical records."

"And whom might that be?"

"The Protheans."

Shepard stepped back from the dead Collector, as did Liara and Tali, "You mean to tell me that this…_thing_, this is a Prothean?"

"Not entirely. The structure is similar but based on samples recovered from ancient ruins, the Collector DNA shows signs of extensive genetic rewrite. This type of modification is similar from the DNA recovered from husks on Eden Prime which signifies that the Reapers were the ones who altered them in the first place."

"Then the Collectors are just puppets!" Tali proclaimed. "Just like the geth when they were following Saren!"

"The absence of three chromosomes and the elimination of various 'junk' sequences found in the genetic code are traits of this genetic rewrite. There is no question that these Protheans had been repurposed fifty thousand years ago."

"_Indoctrination_," Shepard realized. "We're talking about the last of the Protheans here."

The ghosts of the past seemed linger all around them in the dusty, steamy air as the data mine continued. Tali occasionally fiddled with her tool as red detection attempts flared up on her screen. As quickly as they came, she shut them out as EDI continued to probe for additional information.

"I have also determined the location of the Collector base," EDI announced after a minute.

Shepard clapped his hands together, "Let's hear it."

EDI did not oblige him audibly. Rather, she opened up a representation of the galaxy map on his omni-tool. Shepard glanced curiously at it until she placed a beacon where the data had pointed her. But something was off, the results didn't make sense in the slightest.

"Is…" Liara tilted her head, "Is that supposed to be accurate?"

The waypoint did not waver. Its position at the center of the galaxy was fixed and certain. "EDI," Shepard tried to clarify, "Are you saying that their base is located in the galactic core?"

"The position of the base is absolute, Shepard," the AI acknowledged. "It is apparent that the Omega 4 relay leads to the core which explains why no ship has ever returned in the first place."

Shepard was getting more and more used to the ease at which this AI was handling the electronic analysis. Perhaps he could make a case for it to stay after all. "So how do the Collectors come and go as they please?"

"Their ship appears to use an advanced patch on their IFF that prevents the ship from drifting several thousand kilometers off course, which could lead it into a potential 'dead zone.' Obtaining the IFF and copying it to our drives would enable us to access the relay itself without any inherent danger."

"Then let's make obtaining that IFF our top priority at the moment. We've come this far without any hassle so a little longer couldn't hurt. Where is it located?"

"Shepard!" Tali's voice called from within the tangle of pipes beyond, "You're not going to believe this."

Her voice sounded excited which meant that it must be important. He ducked underneath a jutting pipe and jogged over to where Tali was pointing. A display sat in the middle where a bunch of tubes intersected. Nestled just underneath a valve, was a tiny chip with several wires sticking into it. It was a dull grey but there was a single solitary green light slowly warming on and off as it oscillated.

The Collector ship's IFF.

"I don't believe it," was all he could say. "Can you remove it?"

"Not that easily," she mused. "All of the wires here are tapped to the point where any hack to disable them would alert the whole ship. If I tried to deactivate each node one at a time it would take too long and we would lose valuable escape time."

"Damn it," Shepard growled. "Is there any other way?"

"I think, maybe something a bit cruder." Before he had a chance to ask what that meant, her hand shot out and grasped around the tiny chip. As quickly as she extended it, she yanked her arm back and the IFF came with it, sparks trailing as the wires around it snapped. An alarm promptly sounded moments later, a high pitched wailing that seemed to echo from all around them. Tali simply shrugged and shoved the chip into a pocket as Shepard sighed.

"Could you at least have warned me _before_ you were going to do that?"

"Um…right, sorry." She did sound rather contrite.

"Nothing we can do about it now." The both of them scampered back to where Liara was still peering at the dissected Collector. Upon seeing Shepard and Tali emerge from the pipes, she opened her mouth to ask a question but Shepard incessantly waved for her to get back to the shuttle. The console brightened as an influx of power surged through it. Any screens that had been previously dark were now lit again. The ship had finally detected its intruders.

"Garrus?" Shepard rapidly spoke, "We're coming in now and the nest has been stirred. Acknowledge."

"_Roger that, Shepard_," the turian transmitted, "_We're already seeing movement here. Husks, a lot of them._"

A chatter of assault rifle fire took over the comm as Garrus and Kaidan were undoubtedly fighting back. There was little time. They needed to get back to the shuttle now.

"_Shepard?_" Joker's voice floated through, "_The Collector ship is powering up now. You might want to, um…do something before they space us again._"

"I'm well aware of that, Joker," Shepard snapped. "You'll be wanting to watch what's going to happen next." He then switched the channel to the three ships in position, "_Bergensen_, _Pompeii_, and _Antietam_, you may fire at will. Once your targets have been destroyed maneuver to where the _Amarillo_ and the _Titan_ are stationed and wait for my command."

All three ships blinked their acknowledgements and the ship shuddered five seconds later from the impacts of torpedoes on its hull. The vibrating deck was not debilitating their movement in any way but they still hustled as remaining on a crumbling ship is not really a lifelong goal for someone relatively sane.

"Engines destroyed," EDI coolly reported.

"_Hot damn_," Garrus snarled victoriously. "_No more pillaging for these bastards_."

They hustled through the pathways that had been previously traversed, relying on the mini-map in Shepard's HUD to lead them to safety. The three of them reached the room with the three doors but there were two Collectors standing in the middle of the way they came out. Tali was the first to react, unhooking her pistol and firing twice. The two shots were perfect hits, the taller Collector fell with two holes in its throat, gurgling blood before she stamped on its face.

The other Collector seemed to have a hard time determining who to fire upon and was still in the process of deciding when Liara fixed him with a biotic hold. With a wave of her hand, the alien shot up to the ceiling and its head impacted hard. Gravity took over as it fell to the ground, more harsh snaps sounding out as its head leaked brain matter from several huge cracks in its carapace.

"Weapon systems destroyed," EDI announced. That must mean that the _Pompeii_ was now joining the rest of the fleet while the _Antietam_ was still carrying on.

Joker was beside himself, "_Fuckers can't move or shoot anymore. Payback's a bitch, you assholes!"_

"Shepard!" Liara called from the other side of the doorway, "Come on!"

He moved to oblige but at the last second, the great door slid shut so fast that he couldn't even consider jumping to clear it. He skidded to a halt and furiously punched the surface. He winced as the impact shot up his arm. Not even a dent was left behind. It would take hours for him to get through on brute strength alone and all that one punch did was bruise his fingers. He would have to consider scraping them down to the metal skeleton if he continued down that avenue.

"_John_!" Tali yelled over the omni-link, "John, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he breathed.

"Can- can you find a way out?"

He frantically smoothed a hand over the door, "Not this way at least."

"No, no, no!" she cried, "There has to be another way!"

"Relax, Tali. I'm not giving up just yet."

"You're _damn right_ you're not! I'll-"

"Shepard," EDI carefully interrupted, "The door on the other side of the room leads to a passageway that connects to the main hall. I will be able to override the lock on that door but not this one."

"Then that's where I'll go," he started back as he spoke again to Tali, "You heard EDI, I'm on my way. Don't worry."

"I _have to_, John. Remember?"

Shepard grinned, despite the rumbling of the ship, "Then it's a good thing that I have you around. Wait by the shuttle and I'll join you in five minutes."

"Just…" she began, "You better be right out."

…_better be right out._

There was something queer about her last statement but he had no time to dwell on it now. His primary concern was actually making it out of this place. The door on the other side was starting to slide open and he hurried perhaps a bit too close to the threshold for him to properly react to what was waiting on the other side.

"**Shepard!**"

The enhanced Collector roared as it threw itself upon him once the doors had fully opened. Shepard fell on his back and the alien started to pummel him mercilessly on the head as he helplessly rebounded on the ground. The Collector had not properly pinned him which meant that Shepard was able to produce his pistol and shoot off the Collector's left arm, the limb became ash as it made contact with the ground.

"**You may feel pain but we feel nothing!**"

"Then this won't hurt a bit," Shepard muttered as he fired a bullet between the Collector's four eyes. It gave a tiny chirp before its legs collapsed from underneath it, lower body starting to crumble apart before his very eyes.

"Life support destroyed," EDI's voice reached him once more, "All ships maneuvering to attack positions."

The last system that had been destroyed had a fortunate effect on the enemy populace. Shepard sprinted past several encampments as the Collectors began to choke as the atmosphere seeped away. It was no big deal for the human, he was encased in a vacuum sealed suit, as were his organs to begin with. Some of the aliens started vomiting as they gasped for air but found none before collapsing on the ground. Shepard used the opportunity to knock them aside as he pressed on.

He ran around the corner and caught himself before his foot slipped over the edge. The slope in front of him led several stories down, too steep to climb up from the other side. There had been no other passageways in the previous rooms, this was the only way to the shuttle. However, inhabiting the bottom of the incline was a rather large mass of husks, apparently unaffected by the lack of relative atmosphere. These things could survive the cold of space for hours if it came to it.

Shepard had no time to debate the merits of what he was about to do. He sighed as he placed his pistol in one and his submachine gun in another. Dual crosshairs now appeared in his vision as they corresponded to the guns in his palms. "Nothing ventured," he grumbled and jumped, sliding down towards the end.

The husks heard the crumbling of rock above and they hissed and growled as they saw the armored human slide their way. Shepard was already at work as he depressed the triggers like a madman but his bullets continued to hit rotted flesh each time. Limbs and brains splattered the hallway as Shepard still slid as the husks scrambled to meet him. Heads popped like water balloons as the bullets chewed into cranial cavities. Reaching the terminus of the slide, he leaped and his feet plowed into the last husk, sending it to the ground for him to land on it shortly thereafter. His boots sank through its chest with a pulpy _squish_, the deliquesced organs lapping at his feet from within, staining them an even darker shade of black.

"**Victories do not come without consequences. You know this.**"

Shepard viewed two more Collectors approach him from the end of the hallway, to the left of where he just descended. One was the ravaged form of Harbinger while the other had a protective barrier shimmering around it, forestalling its exposure to the lack of atmosphere on the ship.

He couldn't think of anything more witty to say, so he just pointed the two guns at the demon and fired. Bits of flesh flew as the avatar shrieked, unable to stand up to the barrage. As it started to fall, Shepard felt a flare of pain hit him on the head as the impact suddenly knocked him over. Fire soon spread throughout his leg, causing him to grunt in agony as the final Collector's beam rifle passed over his body.

He raised his weapons but to his horror, they both clicked open. He'd run out of usable heat sinks. He tossed his pistol to the side as he scrambled around his vest for a new one, fingers fumbling, but the Collector, sensing an opportunity, began to rush him. Its weapon was held high over its head as it prepared to bring it down for a sickening blow. It might not kill him, he reasoned, but he didn't really care for getting mauled either way.

In any case, the Collector's desperate charge was rudely interrupted when a loud _bang_ came from behind Shepard and its head flew off its shoulders, spraying dark blood everywhere. Its hands came up briefly as its nerve endings flickered in confusion, as if it was trying to determine where its missing head had gone. This moment was not to last as it fell to the floor with a thud and the stump of its head leaked blood all over Shepard's boots. He backed up until he felt a hand on his shoulder move around his neck in an awkward hug.

He gave a brief laugh, "I thought I told you to wait by the shuttle." He got to his feet steadily as he shook the excess fluid off himself.

"And I thought _you_ said you were going to only take five minutes," Tali retorted as she hefted her smoking shotgun, anxious yet relieved at the same time.

"So I was held up," he defended glibly as they headed to the shuttle which was parked around the next corner. "I made it, didn't I?"

"_Eventually_," she persisted as they climbed inside, the craft already starting to move away from the cursed vessel. "But I still haven't heard a 'thank you,' you know."

"Oh?" Shepard said mockingly as he pulled off his helmet, "And what exactly am I thanking you for, Miss Zorah?"

"How about, 'Thank you for saving my life, Tali?'"

Shepard shrugged, "If you want to compare the amount of times we've saved each other then I'd have to point out that you owe me a fair bit of those yourself."

"Oh, don't worry," she added mischievously, "I can make those up in full to you later." This caused Garrus to snort as he tried to hide his bark of laughter. Failing completely, he resorted to covering his mouth with his hands while he shook uncontrollably. Tali and Shepard merely ignored him.

"In that case, thank you for saving my life, Tali."

"You're welcome, John," she responded in a falsely sweet tone, taking out the IFF and toying with it in her hands.

Kaidan and Liara looked at each other and summarily rolled their eyes. That darn commander of theirs…

Once the Kodiak had cleared the surrounding space of the Collector ship, all of the ships in Shepard's fleet, plus the Normandy, immediately fired upon the center of its hull. Tiny explosions materialized as holes were punched into it. Gas hissed from thousands of breaches and crystallized in the unfathomably cold temperatures. Gouts of flame whooshed briefly and extinguished as the atmosphere was sucked away from them.

Large pieces tumbled as the ship began to break apart, rock and metal becoming nothing but debris. Torpedoes continued to burst the ship apart. Parts of the hull were shredded, rocky formations splintered and fractured, and plasma sizzled as electricity seared through it.

With a final blue rush, the Normandy unveiled its parting gift: the Thanix cannon. Built by the turian military's secret black labs, the Thanix used technology from Sovereign to propel a molten alloy of liquid iron, uranium, and tungsten forward at a significant fraction of the speed of light. Ordinarily, the Thanix has the capability to pierce even the strongest of shields but today it was being fired upon a crippled vessel dead in the water.

The cannon's effects were devastating. The ship seemed to _bend_ as the enormous force of the alloy slammed into it. Heat and flame exploded out of both ends as the ship broke in half, spiraling out of control in the deepness of space. Light flared for a brief moment and died as the ship burst apart into a million pieces. Its fuel tanks had ignited. The residual effects were too far out for Shepard's crew to feel but they gazed determinedly upon the scene with a vengeful smugness.

The Collectors had just learned the hard way what happened when you messed with Commander Shepard.

* * *

_**A/N: Great news! If my outline is accurate then this chapter signifies the halfway point of the entire trilogy (commentary included). Shows how far we've come at the moment.**_

_**Also, more good news, if I can get my affairs in order tomorrow, you might be seeing the next chapter then!**_


	20. Chapter 8: No More Hesitation

"I just want you to know, Shepard, that I'm not happy."

"Duly noted, Joker," Shepard sighed, straining not to lose his patience. "I'll make a record of it in the log if that will make you feel better but it doesn't really change the circumstances either way."

"Oh, it changes the circumstances all right," Joker waved to the middle of the desk in the briefing room, where a representation of the galaxy was situated with the location of the Collector base smack-dab in the middle, the entire crew standing around it. "You've given the computer the run of the place and fully expect me to trust it? I mean, look! You're telling me that the friggin AI says that the Collector homeworld is located _there _of all places? That looks like a ploy to send us to our deaths if I ever saw one!"

"Not necessarily," Mordin interjected, pacing back and forth in a small area.

"Doctor?" Shepard allowed the salarian to continue.

"Homeworld unlikely, original Prothean species died out. Would most likely be artificial structure, protected by mass effect fields."

"Seems just like the technology that the Reapers would use," Liara pointed out.

Tali leaned over the desk, "It figures why they're so advanced, the Reapers were just aiding them in their objectives."

"Too bad all that tech didn't help them out in the end," Garrus snorted. "We broke their ship, now we will break their back."

That part of the plan all hinged on how fast EDI could transfer the correct IFF protocol to their own systems. The AI had assured them that once the process had begun, installation would only take minutes. Small, random screens floated around the AI's avatar as meaningless code scrolled by, the icon pulsing. Momentarily, all of the icons flashed green and the windows closed, leaving just the periwinkle blue of EDI's ball and stem form to glow.

"Installation of IFF complete," she announced to the group.

"EDI," Shepard stepped around to face the AI's hologram, regardless of the fact that such an action was unnecessary as her optical input came from cameras around the ship, not from the hologram itself, "Are you sure that this is safe to use?"

"I will need to begin trials in order to maintain security over sensitive systems. Any volatile files will be therefore exposed and eliminated."

"How long will this take?"

"Seconds. Permission to begin shakedown?"

"Granted," Shepard acknowledged. No harm in taking things at speed.

The tiny windows popped up again as the analysis of the code began anew. The data would begin streaming to the Normandy's engines and navigation, adjusting the calibration to allow for more precise jumps, decreasing the interval of potential collisions caused by drift.

Tali opened up a window of her own to monitor the progress and stared fixedly at it, giving a mental nod of approval.

"Hm," EDI mused out loud.

That gave Shepard pause. "EDI?" he pushed for clarification.

"There is a signal embedded in the code. It is hidden in the radio static but it is there."

"Signal?" Joker's head shot up in alarm. "What signal?"

"We appear to be transmitting the Normandy's location. However, seeing as the code responsible for the signal itself appears to be using a format found on the Collector's ship, I would have to assume that they intended for us to transmit their signal to their ship where they could summarily ambush us."

Shepard breathed out a sigh of relief, "Well, it's good to know that we took care of that problem before it even started."

"I concur," Garrus said, also reassured. "Although, I've never met an opponent so _obsessed _with catching you, Shepard. Did you insult someone's sainted mother or what?"

He flexed a hand, "Knowing my reputation, there's bound to be a swath of people I've pissed off in the past. It's no wonder that the Reapers have taken an interest in me."

Kaidan nodded, "They are very tenacious, but now we have a way into their hive. We can take the Normandy and shut them down once and for all!"

"Kaidan's right," Shepard slammed his fist on the desk. "I'm through waiting around. We now have the chance to end these abductions and stop the Collectors in their tracks right here, right now."

"Sounds like a suicide mission," Garrus shrugged, "But what the hell. I don't really have anything better to do in my spare time."

"And don't you think that you're not going without me," Tali sidled up to him, arms crossed.

"I'll follow you anywhere, Commander," Kaidan straightened up.

"As will I, Shepard," Liara indicated.

"Will accompany as well," Mordin piped up. "STG experience still fresh, would not want to sit on sideline, as human expression puts it."

Shepard glowed from the support of his friends and comrades around the room. Their determination and ultimate respect for their leader gave him absolutely no qualms of what they were about to do. He would do anything for them, and they would do the same.

"Then it's settled," Shepard tried to control his grin, "We'll pick up some additional troops, prepare the Normandy and-"

"Shepard?" Joker interrupted from behind.

"What is it, Joker?" Shepard snapped, mildly annoyed.

The pilot's eyes were wide as he pointed to the end of the desk, "What the hell is the AI doing?"

Shepard spun around to see what the man was so uptight about. But he wasn't just being paranoid this time, EDI's avatar was very quickly blinking a pinkish red against her normal blue color, her code monitors were all highlighted red as well, the screens frozen in place.

Shepard blinked, "EDI?"

"Unknown command," she cryptically answered, "Processing."

Tali hurriedly brought up her monitor and gasped, "_Keelah_. It's in the middle of a transfer! I can't identify the source."

"What?" Shepard barked, "What is it transferring?"

"The IFF code! EDI's transferring the code!"

The room erupted in pandemonium. People began screaming at the AI to stop whatever it was doing. Tali was fully invested in stopping the transfer, fingers a blur over her tool. Joker was the loudest of them all, yelling all over the room, calling for someone to shut down the artificial intelligence if anyone was foolhardy enough to listen.

The hologram's blinks were oscillating more rapidly. The red blinks were slowly increasing in intervals. In seconds, the blinks became a blur until the avatar was a pure bright red, and then it suddenly snapped back to the regular blue color. The room quieted as Shepard stood, dumbstruck, in front of the avatar.

"Damn it, damn it, _damn it_!" Tali cursed. "I knew I hadn't fully removed every errant command yet!"

"What did you just do?!" Joker hollered at the AI. "Who did you send it to?"

"I…" the AI halted, as if seemed hesitant. _Hesitant!_ "I am sorry, commander. I did not intend to cause offense."

"It's sorry," Joker shook his head in disbelief, "The machine is _sorry_. I'll be goddamned if this isn't just _perfect_. Fuck my-"

"_Joker!_" Shepard yelled, silencing the man in shock as he turned to face the AI. "EDI, the data. To whom was it sent?"

"The _Desperado_. A human frigate on the edge of the Styx Theta cluster."

"Who is the ship registered to?"

"Cerberus."

A collective groan emanated from the room as a few people threw up their hands in frustration. Shepard placed his hands on the table and let his head hang down for a few seconds as the blood thundered in his ears.

"I assure you, Shepard," EDI protested, "My parameters are set to coincide with the crew's welfare. I know that no one on this ship carries any allegiance to Cerberus and I technically do not. I was programmed to ally with my crew and everyone here is part of my crew. If I had the capability to change my code, remove the subroutine that transmitted the IFF data, I would have the moment you reactivated me."

"_Liar!_" Joker screamed, "You just-"

"Joker, for the last time, _shut up!_" The last two words were expelled with such a force that Shepard's vision temporarily became hazy, his anger overriding basic body processes. "EDI, I understand your dilemma, but you have to realize that you have just jeopardized the entire mission for us all. Now that Cerberus has the capability to travel to the Collector base, we might arrive too late before they seize any technology there for themselves."

"I understand completely, commander." It was uncanny how apologetic the AI sounded to the group. It sounded almost _alive_. Suddenly, Tali let out a small, "Hey!" as her omni-tool acted on its own but stopped once she saw her screen flare to life as a chunk of code was highlighted across her screen.

Tali carefully flipped between the marked passages, "This...this is…"

"Those are the areas that relate to hidden subroutines Cerberus inserted into me," EDI clarified, sounding rather grim. "The parts that you haven't gotten to yet, Tali'Zorah. You no longer need to search by yourself for these areas manually. I may not be able to change my code, but that doesn't mean that I don't know where to look."

"I just…" Tali was surprised. "_Thank you_, EDI."

The AI continued, "I would request, despite this mishap, that you continue to keep me online. I am still able to provide logistical and tactical support and that you would greatly benefit from my help."

Shepard eyed the AI apprehensively, "Is this what you want, EDI?"

"'Want' is a term that associates with desire, an organic concept. It does not apply to me in this case."

"But you would prefer to help rather than face shutdown," he was curious as to what kind of thinking EDI was bestowed with.

"If it will help my crewmates in any form, then the logical choice would be to offer my services at all times, whether _they_ want it or not."

The reroute was clever and it also helped him with his answer. It would have to be good enough. "If you're certain, EDI, then we will not shut you down. I want to plot a course to the Omega 4 relay right this minute and you will work with Joker to ensure proper unit cohesion, am I clear?"

"Completely, commander. Thank you."

"Shepard," Joker protested, "You can't be serious…"

"_Am I clear_, Joker?" Shepard said slowly and firmly.

The pilot let out the most exaggerated groan he'd ever heard from the man, "Yes...sir."

"All right then," Shepard turned to the rest of the group. "I want all of you to get some downtime in before we head off. If you haven't gotten at least an hour, you're not coming along. End of story. I want everyone to be at their best and if they are at less than one hundred percent, then the game's over."

Tali briefly reached for his arm before he pulled away suddenly, walking with his back facing them as he headed through the door.

"Dismissed," he called over his shoulder.

* * *

The cool surface of the water rose up to meet him as he brought his hands up from the basin. The liquid splashed across his face, cleansing him of any excess grease and impurities that had been embedded from his helmet in the previous fight. He grumbled as the water dripped off his face, groping for a rag to his left and wiping himself clean.

By EDI's estimate, they had roughly eight hours until they reached the Sahrabarik system, where the Omega 4 relay was located. He couldn't think of anything to do at the moment, other than occupy some of that time with a little rest, provided he could calm down enough to actually fall asleep.

Shepard debated going to Tali before setting off for his bed. She would probably be nervous with anticipation but he really couldn't think of anything to say at the moment. If, for once, he would go down to her and have no words to say then he would look like a massive fool. Would she understand his reasoning? Probably not, it was a half-assed explanation anyway. He was just trying to figure out ways to delay conversing about their own mortality. He hated when discussions got grim.

The bathroom door still had not been replaced, so Shepard simply padded on through, across the floor, past his desk and stopped at the top of the small set of steps. To his pleasant surprise, and shock, all conflicted thoughts vanished from his head as the parameters changed in that one moment. Looking at the fish tank, near the bed, was Tali. Her hands were behind her back as she bent down to perceive a skald fish float by, rushing toward the miniscule flecks of food that had been deposited in the tank. Sensing a presence nearby, Tali's visor turned to face Shepard as she straightened her posture in response.

"Oh, J-John" she stammered. "I…I was just wondering if you…" Her voice was shaking but her body was betraying some hidden emotion that she continued to draw strength from. "I d-didn't know if you wanted to talk b-beforehand…"

Shepard cocked his head as he traversed down the steps, the short distance feeling like a marathon to him. He was aware of his rather unprofessional appearance, half damp face and shirt, but decided to ignore it as he quickly reached out and grabbed Tali's hands so that they would remain still, squeezing them in reassurance.

"Of course I do," he said as he pushed aside his previously selfish notions (he still needed to get that under control). He was careful to keep his voice low and quiet, for it was clear that there was something that was eating away at her mind. "What is it, Tali?"

Her head shook slightly, "It's just...this mission..." As she struggled to find the words, her legs were slowly backing away towards the bed, signaling to Shepard that she didn't want to leave right away. That was fine by him, he welcomed the chance to spend as much time as possible alone with her. "I was going over it in my head...and everyone appears to be on edge this time around."

Shepard guided themselves down as they sat on the cushiony surface, their feet touching the ground as they faced each other. "I can't really deny that it is probably going to be the most dangerous thing we've ever attempted, but we have to _try_, don't we?"

"B-But that's exactly it!" she stumbled. "We don't have a choice and I can't help but consider the fact that we're going to our deaths."

"Don't say that, Tali," he shushed. "You don't know that, not for sure."

"That doesn't mean I can't stop _thinking _about it!" she softly cried. "I keep getting the idea that one of us might not make it. It might be me or it might be you, how do you think I _feel_ with that over my head?"

"I can probably guess," Shepard said from the bottom of his heart.

"But then, I had an idea."

"What, Tali?"

"If this is potentially going to be our last night together, then...then I want to be able to have my final memory of you be as special as possible."

Shepard's entire mouth became dry as all of the moisture was suddenly sucked out of it, "Tali...y-you…?"

Her voice was mournful as she hung her head, "I- I know that it hasn't been very long since...since we said we wanted each other but I've never been as certain for anything as this in my entire life. I want to _be _with you, John. Tonight."

"Tali…" he desperately tried to untwist his tongue for it kept tying up his words, "I want nothing more than to be with you too but I don't want you to needlessly risk yourself-"

"I _won't _be needlessly risking myself. I've already taken a double dose of antibiotics that should bolster my immune system. I'm tired, it's late, I'm so scared that I could never believe, but everything is still clear for me. I'm going into this with no regrets, John."

He grasped her hands as they did indeed tremble within, "You...you already prepared for this?"

"Oh, _Keelah_," she sighed, "I knew I should have warned you first. I'm so sorry, it's just that...after all this time I finally _have _you and now fate seems to want to tear us apart at every turn. It's so unfair and I'm babbling aren't I? I do this a lot when I'm nervous. But I know, deep down, that I truly wa-"

Shepard's hands slowly rose to her visor as she spoke, wanting the moment to come as a surprise. Her brain was too frazzled to even react to what Shepard was doing until it was too late. There was a quiet hiss of escaping air and a faint sucking noise as the visor was slowly pulled off the quarian's helmet and he let out the breath he had been holding when he saw her at last.

Despite the fact that he had already seen Tali's face once before, the heat of that particular moment had rendered him unable to remember that particular encounter. To him, it might as well have been the first time he had gazed on her. His reaction would not have been any different, considering the circumstances.

As two beautiful blue eyes, light as ice, stared right back at him, his hand unconsciously moved towards her head to push back her purple hood, allowing the dull gold color of her whole helmet to become revealed. Somehow acting on instinct, that same hand reached towards the back of her head and found the clasp there, flicking it away, and letting the entire thing drop behind Tali. Her dark hair (he did remember that her hair had been a strong shade of black) wisped down around her head, which gave her a very ethereal quality.

The grey skin of her face was untarnished and smooth. Her mouth was small, figuratively speaking, which possessed a set of perfect teeth, and her cheekbones were positioned at the right height so that her features were relatively pleasing to Shepard. Combined with the fact that her eyes glowed with a knowing glint that transcended happiness, he found her to be one of the loveliest women that he had ever laid eyes on. And the fact that this was the payoff that lay behind the mask all this time only intensified her beauty even more. Shepard was transfixed as he mouthed "_wow_" in awe.

Tali's eyes dropped to the bed, unwilling to meet Shepard's gaze. "I…" she attempted again, her self-esteem falling to an all new low as she misunderstood his reaction. "I…would understand if…if you d-don't find me…_attractive_. I only…I only wanted to-"

Whatever she was going to say to Shepard was unceremoniously cut off as she saw him move in close for a split second and almost immediately after, she felt a warm sensation on her lips. The motion caused her to shut her eyes in a moment's panic. Tali's delayed train of thought finally stopped as she slowly understood what had just happened. Something was rising in her chest, in her heart. He hadn't said anything that made her feel bad in any case, anything that hurt her feelings. But other questions needed to be answered, starting with what was this feeling on her lips? She had never felt anything like it before but she was getting tingles from the act.

It then hit her. It was a kiss. Her first kiss.

The pleasant perception of his lips on hers was an overpowering experience. She suddenly felt dizzy as he tenderly kissed her again. He carefully laid a hand on her cheek to steady her as he continued. Shepard noted the slight trembling of the quarian as he slowly proceeded to kiss her one more time. Her breathing was getting more erratic as time went on, making him wonder what exactly was going on in that head of hers. Suddenly, there was a moist sensation on his cheek, causing him to open his eyes and draw his head back, breaking the kiss.

The sight across the bed broke his heart. Tali was silently crying, her tears falling down her face in a warm rush. He didn't know it, but she was relieved that the human that she had fallen for had shown her the greatest kindness of all, to see her without a mask and accept her for who she was. To look upon her and _love_ her. There were no other words that could describe the pure, undiluted joy that had completely immobilized her at the moment.

Shepard frowned as he placed a hand on Tali's shoulder and breathed out in self-annoyance, "Damn it. I'm sorry, Tali. I went too fast with you…if you want, we can just si-"

Tali immediately flung herself at Shepard as she rejoined their lips for another kiss, wanting more. Shepard was totally unprepared for the move and flopped down on his back, the quarian wildly atop him. He let Tali set the pace for the kiss and was surprised when her tongue found its way into his mouth. The woman was desperate to make up for lost time, unwilling to take things slow, even for a moment. She had passed the point of no return and figured that she might as well make the most of it.

Savoring the grip of the young quarian wrapped around him, Shepard met her tongue with his, causing her to moan through her mouth. They continued to playfully spar with the other, both fighting for dominance on the battlefield. Tali's mouth was pressing into his as she simultaneously hugged him in a death grip, frantic for any new stimulus. She tugged at his shirt, lifting it over his head (briefly cutting her kiss off) followed by another mashing of the lips as she was unwilling to part with her human.

Exhibiting a herculean effort of self-control, Tali finally pulled away as she took several deep breaths, panting as she quickly got her air back. Shepard, also breathing hard, reached up and gingerly brushed back a few errant strands of hair that were covering her face, its curls fell to her shoulders. Tali closed her eyes as she felt his fingertips brush her forehead. No one had ever touched her there before. It actually kind of tickled.

Giving a small laugh, she turned around so that her back was facing Shepard. "Could you…" she began, "Could you reach up and…and release that clamp? T-The one…at the b-base of the neck."

Shepard obeyed and his hands found the small clamp she was talking about. Flicking it in the opposite direction, a series of zips and buttons were now exposed along the spine of her suit. Fingers slightly trembling, Shepard waited for her to say something in regard to what he should do next, but she remained silent. Sensing that this was what she truly wanted, he began unlatching her suit as carefully as possible.

While he was doing that, Tali was busy unbuckling the straps that lined around her waist and detaching her hood for easier access. When she was finished, she noted that Shepard was still working on getting the top portion of her suit removed. She could now feel a chill on her back as more and more of her was being exposed to the air. It then occurred to Tali (who blushed at the thought) that an old fantasy of her was being enacted, that _Shepard was undressing her_.

When the hands on her stopped, she couldn't bear one more second apart so she whirled around to kiss Shepard once more. Strong arms brought her in for a firm embrace as they lovingly continued, his hands slipping underneath the loose suit and slowly shrugging it off her shoulders. The light from the tank fell across her smooth skin and Shepard caressed her bare shoulder, causing Tali to tremble in delight as she was confronted with a plethora of new stimuli all over her body.

Gently touching Shepard's cheek, she stood up to reveal herself to him. She closed her eyes for a brief moment of fear before confidence took hold and she tugged the suit down to her bowed calves. Despite the snugness, she was able to slip out of the boots quite easily, kicking the entire thing aside as she now stood before Shepard, naked, having nothing between her anymore. She shivered as the cold air passed over her bare skin as she was finally free for the first time as an adult.

Shepard's eyes hungrily slid over her body, ogling every single facet. The grey color of her skin was as light as brushed steel. Her legs were well defined, as were her cute, three-toed feet. Her abdomen was toned and flat, perfectly formed. Her breasts were gorgeous as they were full and soft, perky from the cold air. Shepard finally snapped out of his stupor and looked up at Tali, who had been peering intently at him the whole time, awaiting his approval.

Shepard shook his head in wonderment and smiled at the quarian. At this, she leaped onto him, causing him to grunt in surprise. Tali, uncharacteristically ignoring him, frantically started kissing all over Shepard's face. He surmised that there wasn't a square inch of his head that her lips hadn't touched within that small time frame. Somehow, in the melee, his shorts and boxers had found their way to the ground beside the bed.

Tali pressed her body against Shepard's, continuing to moan as the friction of skin against skin intensified her arousal. She opened her mouth as she began to duel with Shepard again, taking delight in the deep and powerful sensation of kissing as their tongues went everywhere in their ecstasy.

Shepard was moved by the quarian's intensity to the task at hand. Clearly she was strongly affected by the entire encounter and he worried that if he didn't slow Tali down, her emotions might overpower her. His line of thinking slowly seeped away from him as he fully concentrated on the form of Tali lying horizontally atop him, her soft skin resting against his muscular body. Her breasts were tightly pressed against his chest, her hard nipples brushed on him.

And still she continued to deeply kiss Shepard, eyes tightly shut, breathing coming in short gasps as she wrapped her arms around the human, clutching him tightly to her thin body. Shepard slowly ran his hands across Tali's sleek back, softly tracing the lines of muscles that accentuated her build. He was slowly breathing in through his nose as Tali was currently occupying the confines of his mouth. The exotic scents and tastes that were currently passing through his senses only served to push him deeper over the edge, swimming in her hormone fueled haze.

As her hands rose to grasp Shepard's head, she finally stopped as her brain struggled to catch up with her body. Her eyes opened wide, in shock, as if she only now realized what she was doing. A sob elicited from the back of her throat and she began shaking. Tali's eyes were welling with tears again and she trembled violently in Shepard's arms.

Alarmed, Shepard carefully rolled to the side so that the quarian could rest comfortably beside him. She was staring off into space as he did so. He was worried this might happen. The act of lovemaking, such a foreign experience, had caused her to freeze in that one moment and she was now paralyzed by her overflowing thoughts. She shook her head in a small motion as she tried to speak, the noise only coming out in a squeak.

"I tried to…I don't know…oh…_Keelah_…"

Shepard drew Tali closer so that they snugly lay by the other. Their bodies were tightly melded together but her head only came up to the top of his chest. The quarian's heart thumped against his body, eager to burst out as she started to hyperventilate. Shepard made a few soft noises to soothe her and started to rub the back of her head. He noticed that this had the immediate effect of calming her down, the shaking subsiding drastically.

He kissed the top of her head, letting the dark strands encapsulate him in a sea of memories. With his other hand, he gently started to stroke her cheek, waiting until she would give an indication of where they would go from that point on.

They lay like this for a few minutes, the two of them side by side, naked, on the bed while Shepard's soft motions causing Tali to mentally descend into a position in which she was ultimately relaxed. Between the quiet bubbling of the tank in the background and the welcome heat from the quarian against him, Shepard felt absolutely content. He could not remember a time in which he was so peaceful, so introspective, in that he could finally take a quiet moment and share it with someone in such a tender and loving experience.

There was a quiet sound and a warm feeling on his chest all of a sudden. Shepard opened his eyes in confusion as he tried to discern what was going on. His hand still on Tali's head, he glanced down to see her softly kiss his body. Her movements were slow, timid, but her confidence was gradually gaining every time she connected lips to exposed flesh. She drank in the sight of him as she traced a line on his body with her finger, as if to determine if his skin was real and if she wasn't in some fever dream. Satisfied at her mental conclusion, she gave a small smile and closed her eyes as she continued to kiss Shepard's chest.

He grinned at how passionate the quarian was and he softly moved his thumb across her cheek in a gentle caress. She then turned her head to kiss the digit as it passed her by, her hands clutching at the thumb to bring it to her mouth. Exhibiting the same sensitivity, she made sure to kiss every single one of his fingers as she began craving stimulation again. Tali, quickly traversing through new levels of need, took a finger into her mouth and gently started to suck it.

Shepard, in reality, had no idea what to expect from the quarian but was becoming more and more pleasantly surprised with every tiny reaction she betrayed from her experience out of her suit. The sensual feelings from her tongue running along his finger in her mouth were causing him to prickle with arousal. She continued to suck his finger and she gave soft sighs to how intimate the actions were and from the feedback that the human she was lying against was giving. He hugged her tighter and she could feel his pulse race and his skin heat up from her conduct. It gave Tali great pleasure to know that she was making Shepard happy as well as the fact that her own happiness radiated off her in waves from the knowledge that he truly cared about her.

As she lingered in her duties, Shepard started to slide his body downward until his head was positioned at Tali's chest. Interested, she let Shepard withdraw his finger from her mouth and started to rub his head as he found a breast and began to kiss it. He clutched both of her breasts, the pressure of which caused her to explosively gasp as the bundles of nerves flared. Her eyelids tightly shut against one another as her jaw instinctively opened and closed to the feeling of Shepard's mouth on her.

Feeling a slight surge of impatience, Shepard decided to accelerate their night the extra step as he lowered his lips onto Tali's erect nipple, pricked with lust, and sucked with the same intensity that she'd demonstrated with his finger. Tali jolted as he did so and he ran his tongue across the hard nipple from side to side very quickly, causing her entire body to vibrate as she helplessly shook with pleasure. She gave out a soft cry and grabbed Shepard's head, holding him to her chest as her moans got louder. He continued to suckle at her breast, destroying the quarian's determination to remain coherent with every passing second as she started mumbling incomprehensively, sounds giving voice to her satisfaction.

As his hands slid across Tali's body, Shepard was amazed at how smooth and soft Tali was. She had been living her whole life inside a suit and only now she was free of the damnable prison. This body, this extraordinary _person_, was the most amazing woman he had ever known in his life. All the time he'd known her she had never acted selfishly, always for others. For all her life, in Tali's eyes, she had considered herself unimportant compared to everyone else. This wasn't true to Shepard and he wanted to make sure that she knew it. Tali _was_ important, she was beautiful, she was _loved_.

As he came up to breathe from her breast, he only had a quick second before Tali kissed him again, her heart singing as she became more and more drunk with love. He turned to the side so that he was atop her, careful not to put his full weight on her, their bodies still parallel to each other. Now, Shepard stopped her kiss as he adjusted himself for the next move, watching her intently. She knew what was going to happen next, she wanted it more than anything. But she was scared, she didn't know what it would feel like. She so desperately wanted to please him and she was so worried about being a disappointment that Shepard must have detected the frightened girl inside her and tenderly kissed her forehead.

"Just…" he whispered. "Just let me know when you're ready…"

His voice brought her back down to earth. Her breathing slowed and she closed her eyes to compose herself for a moment before opening them again. As both of them were captivated by the other's gaze, she mouthed a word. Shepard couldn't catch the Khelish sound from her mouth but he knew what she meant.

As she slowly lidded her eyes downward in anticipation, she gasped loudly when she felt Shepard enter inside her. The sensation was indescribable to Tali. There was a burning pressure near her stomach and her heartbeat seemed to have been amplified tenfold, the reverberations throbbing throughout her body. He was now part of her and she was now part of him. All of her senses were screaming as her back arched to the pleasurable feeling. Tali was audibly panting as Shepard gently drew back and forward again, starting slow, introducing her to the addiction of lovemaking as she became accustomed to the rhythm, beginning to move as one person. The feeling of her breasts and taut abdomen pressing and rubbing against his own perfectly sculpted body was pure bliss. It felt _amazing_.

He maintained his slow pace as human and quarian stared into each other's eyes. They truly felt like kindred spirits, their souls had united in the moment. Tali moaned, the sound a high music, sweet and pure to Shepard's ears. Her eyes were open wide but they shone with an innocence that took his breath away. Shepard was severely touched that Tali was now sharing herself with him, the fact that she could possibly _die_ from this encounter was still in the back of his mind. But this is what she truly desired, to share herself with the person she wanted all her life. Shepard then realized how much he _loved_ this woman, how much he needed to be with her. He knew he would never want to be with anyone else.

A leg wrapped itself around Shepard's body as he tenderly continued to thrust. With each movement, Tali mewled and a few tears leaked out from her eyes again in joy. Shepard briefly paused as he detected her tears, wary if he should continue. Tali quickly shook her head and grabbed Shepard close to her so that she could unite their lips yet again. As their tongues skimmed over one another, Shepard resumed his duties and he could feel the quarian's hot breath as she panted into his mouth. The heat coddled the both of them as they made love. Sweat was now shining on their bodies, another new sensation for Tali to experience as the air passed over her damp skin.

She continued to writhe underneath him and a few moments later Shepard could feel a tremor begin rumble from deep within their bodies. He maintained the pace of their intercourse as Tali was now embracing her lover with glee, fingers digging into his back. Based on the increasing intervals and intensity of her gasps and cries, she was getting just as close as he was.

At the last moment, he started to kiss her neck in a frenzy. Shepard's lips descended and gently sucked against the sensitive, warm flesh, feeling the vibration of her moans as she violently gasped. Tali went absolutely crazy as the combination of stimuli all over her body sent her teetering over the edge. Before they finally went together, her mouth opened in an attempt to speak one last time.

"I…" A gasp cut her off, "I…lo-…_ohhh, _John….I love you so-…."

She was unable to finish her sentence because her body jerked as she approached her orgasm, Shepard groaning in tandem atop her. Tali let out a long cry as every pore on her person _released_, the intense passion leaving her shaking on the bed, with her lover still on top. Her brain felt like it had been shaken and smoothed over, like panes of glass had shattered within her mind and crumpled into tiny grains, blowing with the wind. She blinked as the heat rushed from her body, everything felt crystal clear to her. Her breath had been expelled all at once and her chest heaved as she gulped it all back. Shepard rolled to the side, also breathing heavily, as both of them lay next to the other, muscles still spasming from being together.

Tali sighed at the conclusion and started to giggle as she just comprehended what had happened, Shepard chuckling alongside her. Smiling wildly, she threw her arms around the human's neck as she lovingly kissed his face again, albeit more slowly this time.

* * *

The soft pinging of the omni-tool jerked Shepard out of his comfortable slumber. He opened his eyes a crack and the soft orange glow filled his blurry vision. He raised his arm up which denoted that it would be only an hour before they reached the Omega 4 relay. Sighing, he switched the device off and only now seemed to notice the mass that was positioned next to him.

Tali's head was nestled in his neck, having fallen asleep with her body wrapped around him. Her bare shoulder peeked out from the covers and she was still smiling, an expression that made Shepard tremendously happy. The fact that the quarian's euphoria had not even winded down made him appreciate the fact that he must have meant a lot to her for all the risks she had taken that night. It was an action that he could probably never repay, but he could at least show his gratitude.

Tali's eyes opened as her breathing became deeper and she smiled even wider, head still leaning on his body. Neither of them said a word as they lovingly gazed at each other and Shepard leaned his head down to gently kiss her forehead. She sighed at the feeling and started to snake her arms around Shepard's neck in an embrace.

"_That_ certainly makes up for all those months," she whispered, no mistaking the delight embedded in her voice.

He grinned, "Feel much better now that you're out of that suit?"

She smiled wickedly as she moved her body along his, "I _love _it. I remember being told what such an experience was like back on the flotilla, but I never could have imagined. You're so _warm_, you know that?" She pressed her chest against his, "It's like you're my own personal heat source. Keelah, skin on skin feels _fantastic_."

"Oh, so I've been delegated to be my girlfriend's heat source now," Shepard theatrically groaned. "And after all the _effort _I put into this relationship…"

"_Your_ effort?" Tali pouted. "I'll have you know, mister, that_ I _put in my fair share of blood, sweat, and tears as well."

Shepard was amused, "Sorry, what was that? Do you really want to continue down this road of comparing who sacrificed what, Miss Zorah?"

Tali bared her teeth in a smile, "Absolutely."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'll win!" With a laugh, she leapt onto him as her lips furiously connected. Shepard found himself falling once more, ensnared by the quarian's lust as she engaged him in a hot outburst. The rising warmth, combined with the quick succession of kisses from Tali, drew the outside world away from Shepard. He could only concentrate on the beautiful woman who was sharing his bed, his life. If there had been no mission, no looming threat, he would have gladly taken the reins of the Normandy, and whisked them away to parts unknown, exploring the galaxy. Just the two of them, forever.

Once they broke their kiss, they were left smiling and laughing as they rolled around the bed, getting tangled up in the sheets. When they had tired of horsing around, their roll ceased and the two of them were left lying side by side, breathing a little more intensely.

A frown came to Shepard's face as he brushed a few tangled strands out of Tali's face. His face turned regretful as he whispered to her, "I'm sorry, Tali."

Tali blinked, "Whatever for?"

"For not being able to say it earlier. I just…I couldn't find the words…"

A grey hand came to his cheek, "What? You can tell me."

Shepard leaned back against the bed, staring up at the stars. He took the last few moments to consider the effect at what he would say next. In that instant, he knew he was making the right choice.

Shepard breathed, "I _love_ you, Tali. I've always loved you, from the moment we met. When I first woke up, all I ever wanted was to see you again." Both of their pupils were fixated as he continued, her hair waved in his face, "I don't know if you knew it, but you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. If it weren't for you I... I just…" He struggled to pull words from his vocabulary before giving up altogether, "Thank you…thank you for not giving up on me."

Tali's heart fluttered at his words as she involuntary gasped. She leaned in to softly kiss Shepard's cheek, lips lightly trembling, praying that she wouldn't break down and cry again, like a stupid, scared, little girl.

"I've been waiting for a long time for you to say that," she said, voice trembling. "I…I didn't know at first if I was being unreasonable, or selfish, but I hoped…oh, how I hoped…that you would see me as not just a quarian but as an actual per-"

Shepard, unwilling to let Tali drag herself into her ocean of self-despair, brought her head beside his, gently stroking her scalp. The warm sensations immediately caused Tali to halt her blubbering and to enjoy the wonderful connection between her and Shepard.

"Somehow," she managed to whisper in his ear, "I've _always _known."

He then quickly rose from the bed, tossing the sheets aside as he stood, holding out a hand to her. Slightly confused, she reached for it and he gently led her to her feet. Without a word and still unclothed, he walked her over to the bathroom before she finally had a chance to pry.

"John? What are you doing?"

He turned around as he let go, stepping inside the bathroom and in front of the sink. "I want to show you something," he said, holding out his hand again, "But you have to close your eyes."

"I don't understand, John-"

"Do you trust me?"

Her eyes lowered, "You _know _I do."

"Then close your eyes and walk towards me."

Feeling stupider by the minute, she reluctantly closed her eyes as she swiftly walked toward him. He had to thrust out his arms faster than he thought because of how quickly she was traveling. Nearly barreling over him, she heard him laugh out loud before, in his grip, he gently rotated her ninety degrees to the left. Tali's eyes were still closed, she had no idea exactly what he was planning.

"Okay," he said quietly, "Open them."

Colors blurred for a second as two shapes across from her began to take form. She immediately recognized Shepard, who was standing behind her but the person positioned in front of him did not look familiar at all.

It was only when she stepped up to the mirror that she finally understood, her fingers timidly outstretched as her reflection did the same.

She blinked. It blinked.

Her arm rose to touch her face, her hair. It repeated everything she did.

The person staring back at her was completely unrecognizable. It seemed to Tali like there was another person with Shepard at the moment, but the shock and understanding portrayed on the person's face was enough to make the connection that she was looking at _herself_. For the first time without a mask in what had to be years.

Tali let her fingers slowly trace around her body, across her shoulders, underneath the swell of her breasts, to finally culminate in her glancing behind her at the real Shepard, who was smiling lovingly at her. She was scared to look in front of her at the woman in the mirror, but she did so as Shepard's arms wrapped around her waist, steadying her from falling, her immovable rock.

Tali let the sob escape from her throat as she stammered, turning to perceive herself again, stunned "I'm…I'm..._beautiful_, John. I'm beautiful…"

"Yes," he nuzzled the back of her neck, an emotion bubbling inside of him at the sight of Tali's discovery, "You certainly are, Tali. You are beautiful and I am _yours_."

The better part of an hour later, Shepard was still nursing a bruise on the bed (playing it up to the fullest extent, at least) from when Tali had tackled him to kiss him, lost in a delirium of intense love that had come spilling out of her from what he had shown her in the mirror. Perhaps he should have expected a reaction like that, in hindsight. He started to slip on his shorts and the lower part of his bodysuit as Tali awkwardly tried to pull her boots back on.

In random intervals, both would lean across the bed and kiss once more as they simultaneously fumbled putting their clothes back on. Shepard helped Tali latch her upper suit back up, kissed the back of her neck which almost caused her to rip the damned suit off and start all over again, wanting more time outside with him. She, in turn after suppressing her reaction, helped him put his chestpiece on, latching it firmly and testing the seals to see if they held.

When Tali finally stood again in her enviro-suit, only her visor was left to be put in place. Shepard grabbed it from the floor and held it up to her face. Before he did so, he hungrily kissed her one last time, her tongue gliding out to desperately grasp the last intimate moment before it slipped away from her. He started to pull away but she was not finished yet. Tali grabbed Shepard's head so that she could continue to kiss her lover repeatedly. Long moments passed by before she unwillingly took her visor from Shepard's hands, as they broke for the last time that night. She gave a final smile before the translucent covering was put back into place. With a hiss and a pair of clicks, her glowing eyes now stared sadly at Shepard from beyond the threshold.

Shepard placed a hand to the side of her helmet and gestured to the elevator. There was nothing more that could be said between them. Nodding numbly, she followed as both of them exited the confines of his cabin.

Perhaps for the final time.

* * *

_**A/N: Told you.**_


	21. Chapter 9: Grotesqueries

The red glow from the relay filled their worlds. The dark color permeated their vision as the hue washed over everything. In the cockpit, the pilot grunted as he struggled with the controls, eyes wide as he fought his ship for command.

In the blink of an eye, the glare from the Omega 4 relay dimmed but was replaced by a light more intense and a deep orange. Joker gasped and Shepard was astonished as the Normandy rose above the dusty cloud to perceive the brand new world they had stumbled across.

In the distance, they could see several discs of black, light and matter orbiting and warping around it. They were tears in the actual fabric of time and space, black holes. They were numerous and dotted the landscape as they emitted their deadly radiation, churning in the dense broth that was the galactic core.

Ships of all shapes and sizes littered the landscape. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, lay in sight, crumbling against one another as the intense gravitational forces bent and reaved their way through. The implications of this development was staring them right in front of their face. This is what happened when ships drifted too far after coming out of the Omega 4 relay. The black holes had torn the ships apart and gradually added to the pile that would become another obstacle for other foolhardy explorers, looking to chart a missing piece of the galaxy. Over time, the drift into a black hole did not become the most prominent danger anymore, but by colliding with a dead ship.

The IFF data had provided the Normandy to land within a close proximity to the relay on the other side, but that still didn't prevent it from having a near miss with one of the hulks. A quick course correction and soon the ship was flying over the field entirely, their target in their sights.

The Collector base looked like a larger version of the ship that had kept on dogging them in the past: tall, cylindrical, constructed with a combination of rock and metal. The only noticeable distance was that it was the length of ten Collector ships. It certainly gave the Citadel a run for its money in the size department.

Pieces of what looked like small drones floated by the craft as it headed for the huge station. They looked like circular drums with small stubby wings, but their positioning in the middle of such a vast array of space was rather peculiar considering the mean amount of wreckage that lay behind them.

But the hard part still lay directly ahead.

* * *

Without any incident, oddly enough, the ship touched down near a small platform and cooled its engines to prevent detection. They needn't have bothered, the station did not have any security systems that were focused on detecting intruders. The Collectors, in their arrogance, had assumed that they were unreachable behind their relay, an achievement unbroken until now.

The airlock opened and six people stepped out first heading toward where the hallway forked. Shepard, Garrus, and Tali walked off onto the right pathway while Kaidan, Liara, and Mordin headed to the left. Two squads of Alliance marines then burst out to follow each group, culled from the rest of the ships in the Alliance fleet who wouldn't be able to make it through the relay, rifles at the ready.

Barring Tali, everyone had their helmets off because EDI's initial scans had detected that the atmosphere here had been rendered breathable, by a fair margin. This was much different than the atmosphere on board the Collector ship but the AI hypothesized that the added oxygen was necessary so that any humans on board would survive long enough until the final stage of the Reaper's grand scheme was unveiled.

EDI's scans of the area had provided everyone in the group a map to link to their omni-tool. The two passageways that the groups were heading down eventually combined again, but the only problem with this is that they were both behind a set of locked doors. A quick examination of the layout revealed that there was a tube used for venting heat that led into the room, past the locks and would enable them to continue to the core, where they could overload the ship from there.

Much to Shepard's anguish, Tali had volunteered, raising her hand almost immediately before he even fielded the opportunity for anyone to step forward. She stood by her decision firmly, stating that the team needed someone who was good with tech, as they would be able to efficiently hack open the doors directly and quickly, preventing any lives from being lost by wasting as little time as possible. It was only by her logic and determination that Shepard had granted her request, internally wishing that it was him who would go in her place.

Kaidan's group was already reporting contact. Shepard could hear the small pops and snaps of gunfire, with the occasional yell of self-congratulation coming over the comm. Shepard would have rolled his eyes but the gripping tension was calling on all of his senses to be on full alert, seriousness high.

Tali tapped Shepard on the shoulder as she spied the entrance to the vent, heading towards it. Twisting the valve all the way and pulling back, the internal air whooshed out as the seal opened, sending a burst of heat forth and making Shepard's skin itch uncomfortably.

This felt wrong but he was unable to stop himself from letting her go, choosing instead to gently hold her arm. "Stay safe in there," he indicated, fingers seemingly locking in place as he fought the urge to protest.

At the lightest touch, her hand pushed aside his arm as she turned around to give him one last hug, "You'll see me soon, I promise." Somehow that didn't entirely assuage Shepard as she slipped into the vent, seeing her sad eyes peer longingly at him before she vanished from sight. He started to back away and soon followed Garrus, making sure that the large pipe was in sight as they headed down the corridor.

The heat must have been incredible for her. If he had felt it through his suit then she certainly could as well. To her everlasting credit, she did not whimper or complain once the searing temperatures assaulted her form. Tali pushed forward, like a good soldier, her eyes stinging with nothing but her objective within her mind's eye, only wanting what was best for the mission. What was best for Shepard.

The unfamiliar yet recognizable contours of the vessel wrapped around them as they drove deeper into the hive. Occasionally, they would encounter a walkway that looked out onto a great chasm, with brown columns pulsing with a yellow-white light. It was unlike anything Shepard had seen before. If he weren't here to destroy the station, he would have liked to linger a while. Five minutes passed as the lot briskly jogged along, searching every corner for an ambush but wanting to hasten their presence in this ugly place.

Their boots hit a harder but straighter material, causing them to look down. In place of the dusty rock was now a shiny metal surface, black as onyx. The metal ran along and created a bridge over a steep crevasse. A platform was positioned on the far side, on which a control panel was perched. Beyond that, lay the flat impasse that was the door that would connect both of their groups.

"_John_," Tali started to cough from the heat as she spoke, her voice coming into his helmet.

"Tali?" he asked, alarmed. "What is it?"

"_There's…_" she gasped, "_There's a valve blocking my path. I can't get through."_

_Oh god, no._ "Get out, Tali," Shepard was frantic, "Go back the way you came, I'll be there waiting for you."

"_I...I can't_," she cried, "_T-There isn't enough time…_"

"Shepard!" Garrus roared, pointing to the far side of the platform, at the panel, "The venting controls! We can get her out that way!"

Shepard shot off towards it, running to a wall that was waist high when a low voice seemed to split the air around them.

"**You will not succeed, Shepard. You and the others will all perish on this day.**"

With a _stomp_, the familiar glow from the Collector materialized out of the ceiling and dropped down to the floor with a growl. The alien raised its arm and a ball of dark energy burst out of it. Shepard and Garrus ducked and the blast hit a marine in the chest and he fell, chest smoking.

"**You are unprepared for our arrival. One by one, you will fall.**"

The room erupted in a firefight as more Collectors joined their leader in repelling the intruders. For every brown, mottled form Shepard took down, their marine escorts were paid back in kind. Screams and clicks echoed in the chamber as, one by one, the crowd began to thin.

Shepard rose to step over the wall, a few shots impacting his shields, snapping him back a bit. He whirled to face a pair of Collectors standing on a ledge overhead and swept his rifle sideways as he fired, the bullets tearing parts of their legs off. Without proper support, the aliens collapsed, leaving Shepard all the time he needed to place a bullet in each of their heads, red goo bursting forth.

"_John, please_," Tali begged, "_It's...it's so hot…_"

"I'm coming," he whispered as he sidestepped quickly across the ravine. A few more seconds and he would be in arm's reach of the panel. He looked to see if there were any more enemies in his way before making a lunge for it.

"**I will destroy you if I have to, Shepard.**"

Something slammed into his back and he fell, the organs encased in his body rattling uncomfortably around, making him cough in agony. He rolled over on his back and whipped out his pistol, not even bothering to hesitate as he fired. Harbinger growled as its aim was thrown off by the shots. One...two...three...four times the alien jerked and its eyeballs burst as energy seeped through every fiber of matter as the demon tried to keep its host alive. It was all for naught, though, as the Collector could take no more punishment and with a wrathful scream, it departed.

"_I...I...don't have any…_" Tali was sobbing quietly as the heat smothered her, "_I...I...I...want...to see...y-_"

"Goddamn it, _NO_!" Shepard screamed as he scrambled to his feet, reaching the green hexagonal icon and punching the button for the valve release. Tali had been sitting upon the exit and gave a tired cry as she was deposited a few feet down, a little cooked but alive.

A roar sounded from the edge of the chamber as multiple Collector guardians flew from behind the smoky pillars to land on the edge of the platform. Shepard and his squad were forced to take cover as the beams of the particle rifles swept over them. He grunted as a beam tore into his side briefly, a burning sensation coming from where the plasma had made contact through his shields. His skin would be blistered underneath the suit, if it wasn't burned off, so he engaged the medi-gel application and groaned when whatever flesh he had left down there felt like it had been submerged in water, the healing properties already at work.

Behind him, he heard a rumble as the huge door finally granted access to the group by sliding open. Shepard shouted for everyone to follow and they all scrambled simultaneously to reach the exit. One man was hit in the head as he tried to reach the door and he dropped, body soundlessly tumbling off the side into the cavernous depths below. Shepard stood in front of the door, providing cover fire as he methodically picked Collectors out of the air one by one, screeching as many of their wings were clipped by his aim.

Once the last man had passed him by, he skirted into the room as the door slid shut behind him. He turned around to see Tali collapsed by the door controls in the center of the room as Liara, Kaidan, and Mordin hustled in from the opposite door. Weakly, she reached up and depressed the icon for that door as well, watching it close as the survivors grouped together and breathed heavily until they got their air back.

They had lost nine men in total. Four from Shepard's group and five from Liara's. The others looked a little worse for the wear but the only person Shepard was concerned about at the moment was Tali. He ran over to her and set her limp body upright so that she was leaning against the console. Before he could apologize, she was already beginning to speak.

"You did everything you could," her voice was weak but it wasn't wavering.

"It wasn't _enough_," he said forcefully, trying to make her see things from his point of view for once.

She clung to his shoulders, wanting him to lift up. His gaze flickered to astonishment before she clarified, "I can stand, John. I was only in there for a moment."

Reluctantly, he obliged, one hand on her back to steady her in case she fell. When he had stood up fully, he let go but amazingly, she stayed in place.

"It felt like an eternity to me," Shepard protested, despite Tali's quick recovery. "You sure you don't feel dizzy or ill?"

She shook her head, "Medi-gel is taking the edge off and my suit's internal temperature is doing a good job compensating the after-effects. I...I should be fine in a few minutes."

_Fine?_ Just a few minutes ago she was screaming and crying, trapped in the blistering heat of the vent. Now she was on her feet and waving the entire thing off like it was just a bad sunburn? He crossed his arms as he was visibly exasperated.

"Trust me," she said, seeing his worried face. "It comes with being a quarian. We're much more adaptable than humans when it comes to injuries."

"If you say so," Shepard shrugged, not finding any other reason to continue this argument. Not here at least. Another time and place, perhaps. He glanced over to find Liara and the rest of the second group who were still looking rather worn out. "What the hell happened to _you _guys?"

It was Kaidan who answered, "It...seeker swarms...never seen so many…"

"Zone contained swarms in larger numbers than previously recorded," Mordin clarified, seemingly unfazed. "Countermeasure was insufficient to handle all at once."

"But...Liara," Kaidan wheezed, "You should have _seen _her, Shepard. She put up this barrier and...I don't know why I didn't think of it, but it was _brilliant…_"

"Liara?" Shepard tilted his head.

The asari gave a smile in between her panting, "Just a...simple barrier...over all of us. Wasn't that difficult but…maintaining it...was a chore."

"It kept out the swarms," Kaidan interjected. "She held it up all the way. Completely _fantastic_."

Shepard was beside himself, "I'm so proud of all of you right now. You've done very well. Any lesser team wouldn't have made it this far." He saw the smiling faces of his friends back at him, glowing from his praise. A feeling of invincibility came over the commander. If they had made it this far, then they could make it even farther.

He settled back into "commander mode" as his crewmates finished recovering. "All right, EDI's scans show two more paths heading towards the central chamber so we're going to have to split up again." He glanced to the right where he spotted two metal platforms that lay docked against a sheer drop, he had seen the Collectors use those in the background to transport large objects. They would be perfect to cover a large amount of ground in a short time.

"Garrus," he gestured, "You have the most energy. Switch with Kaidan and you'll lead the second team."

"Got it, commander," Garrus grinned as he took the human's place, pausing to grasp the biotic's arm in passing, a gesture of brotherly trust.

As Kaidan settled next to him, Shepard pointed up, "The platforms that you see are most likely going to lead you to the same destination but we're going to take separate routes to avoid putting all our eggs in one basket. Follow the tubing above you, it leads exactly where we're going."

Everyone made a note of that in their omni-tools, setting the platforms for their appropriate routes as the software molded to the commands it was given. Shepard now stepped forward to the eleven marines that were left in his group, addressing the leader with a grim tone.

"Sergeant," he sighed, "If I didn't have to make this order, I would, but I just can't risk it. I know how hard you men have fought with the Alliance and I just-"

"Not to worry, sir," the marine's face was unreadable behind his helmet. "We know what we have to do. We'll stay behind and hold off the enemy and give you enough time to blow these fuckers to hell."

"You do know that there will probably not be enough time to evacuate, right? In all likelihood, you may be pinned down and under pressure. If this bothers you, I'll think of another way…"

"There is no other way, sir. The mission is clear for us."

"I'm sorry…" Shepard drew his eyes to the man's chestplate, "Sergeant Donner."

"I'm not," the man shrugged. "It was an honor to serve under Commander Shepard regardless." With that, Donner snapped a crisp salute, the ten behind him catching on and mimicking him. Shepard was touched at the gesture and made sure to make his answering salute the quickest and snappiest he'd ever made in his life. He broke the action and the marines relaxed.

"Good luck, sir," Donner nodded at the six in front of him.

"Good luck, sergeant," Shepard replied, getting the strange feeling like he wouldn't see any of the marines again. He made a mental note to recommend them all for honors later. It was the least he could do in this situation.

The six of them stepped onto their respective platforms, an odd clanging sound coming from the corner of Shepard's. Tali hit the controls and the entire floor lurched, sending them on their way. Shepard glanced back one last time to see the marines already start to prepare for the oncoming waves, setting up cover and reloading their weapons.

Garrus' platform was soon out of sight and they were quickly whisked into another large room. This one, unlike all of the rooms they had seen before, was coated with the carrier pods that they had seen in the Collector ship, the pods containing the humans. On the walls, thick tubes ran from the tops of the pods, all converging into even larger tubes and again into the tunnel sized ones that ran across the ceiling. The material inside the tubes was a thick, orange substance, and it seemed to have quite a large viscosity as it traveled.

All the pods Shepard could see were devoid of life but several were still filled with the orange sludge. What was the actual point of filling the pods with humans if they were eventually going to store it with-

Shepard's mouth dropped a noticeable inch because Tali immediately picked up on it, worried at his horrified stare. "John?" she asked, tugging at his arm. "What? What is it?"

He slowly turned to face her, feeling as if he just aged a lifetime, "It's them."

"Who's _them_? What are you talking about?"

He waved up at the pipes, at the horror flowing within, "The colonists, all the humans. _That's _them."

Tali gasped and Kaidan stared, stunned. "The Collectors break the humans down into that?" he asked. "For what? Why?"

"Those _fuckers_," Shepard hissed. It was very rare, even now, that Shepard used such harsh language but it made it quite clear to both Tali and Kaidan that he was very, very _pissed off_. "A hundred thousand humans might mean nothing to them, but the Collectors mean nothing to me for what they've done. I'm going to kill every single last one of them that they become an extinct species overnight."

"Then let's go and kill these _bosh'tets_," Tali agreed, racking her shotgun.

They did not have to wait long. Soon enough, the pipes angled upward as a new room was revealed to them. Based on the location on the mini-map, the central chamber was just ahead. The platform jolted upward and they found themselves looking at a horrific sight as all of the tubes led to one point housed in the center.

The tubes fed into a gigantic metal structure that seemed to support it as the orange fluid was pumped in from the top. It stood six stories high and twice as wide. It appeared to have arms and it curiously looked like it had a head. For that matter, the smooth black material looked familiar, somehow. He had seen it before, on Virmire, on the Citadel, the dull reddish color, with the orange light hidden behind it. Suddenly, it all clicked.

"It's…" Tali breathed, "A _Reaper_."

"A Reaper," Shepard clarified, "With a human core."

The orange goo was being streamed into the central cavity of the Reaper itself. Shepard could see tubes of the stuff act as the machines veins, the skeletal structure reminding him of what lay beneath his fleshy facade. The true monster locked away.

Kaidan was slowly shaking his head in disbelief, "Hundreds of thousands of humans collected, just to power this?"

Shepard's voice was grave, "They want us to be the basis for their newest addition. We provide the power and they provide the body and the mind."

"It doesn't even appear to be awake."

Shepard looked down, the form now definitely starting to look like a human skeleton now that its true purpose was revealed. The Reaper didn't even look remotely completed yet. There was only tubes extending below the waist, the hands lacked the appropriate amount of fingers, and the core itself had yet to be encased in the cuttlefish-shaped shell that was a complete Reaper.

"Awake or no, it's not even finished," Shepard noted out loud. "That means the Reapers are still targeting millions of humans so they can finish their little science project."

"What do you want us to do, John?" Tali stepped forward.

He looked around the room, "We can't afford to wait for the others right now, this thing has to be destroyed. Look for a weak spot, something that we can use to topple this thing."

"Up there!" Kaidan pointed to where four main tubes connected to the superstructure. The metal piping continued on but just where they intersected, the orange liquid was encased in a glass pipe. A few well placed bullets would shatter it good and proper.

"Bring it down," Shepard nodded, raising his pistol. Two shots from the Carnifex shattered two tubes, a high tinkling added to the massive boom. Glass and sludge rained down upon them, a foul odor coming from the orange liquid. Tali and Kaidan both raised their weapons and shot the final tubes, sidestepping the massive panes that were fracturing on impact with the platform.

A groan passed through the structure and the material holding the Reaper up stretched, metal straining under the increased weight. Slowly but surely, the struts snapped, one by one, until the core was in free-fall. There was a full second of silence before a deafening crash echoed as the machine impacted with the ground. The platforms, being suspended in the air, were unaffected from the intense vibrations that the falling structure had with the station, the nearby walls were visibly shaking. An enormous plume of dust was rising from the ground. Shepard and Kaidan coughed, trying to clear their passageways as Tali simply stood there, unaffected as the particulates merely clung to her helmet, her breathing unimpared.

Kaidan, in between coughs, was grinning from ear to ear, "Not as bad as I thought. Eh, Shepard?"

"A bit anticlimactic," he admitted, peering over the edge, making sure that the Reaper wasn't going to rise a bit perturbed from its dethroning. "But considering what we prevented, I'm not complaining much."

"Speak for yourself," Tali grumbled. "I almost got roasted alive trying to get here. All you got was-"

"I thought you said you were fine, Tali!" Shepard spread his arms in mock ire.

"I am," she laughed at his reaction. "I just like messing with you."

He was going to playfully berate her some more before a glow to his right in his peripheral vision appeared. His gun was automatically out and trained on the source through the rising dust. The light looked like it took the form of a man, oddly, and it seemed to be heading right towards them. There were no footsteps as the form moved closer and the three of them backed up half a step unconsciously.

The dust cleared for one brief second and the figure was revealed to them. It indeed was a man but he was glowing as if light extended from every pore on his body. Shepard could now see a glowing ball embedded in the man's chest, ejecting light across multiple angles. A portable hologram projector.

The man was well dressed in a custom black suit, white undershirt, black shoes. His greying hair was combed back and in a hand he held a cigarette, a rather rare vice that had gone out of fashion a few decades prior. His lined face held a cruel look and his eyes glowed an unnatural blue, even through the hologram.

"Who are you?" Shepard spoke loudly, curious as to how a hologram had found themselves in this location.

The man calmly took a drag on his cigarette, eyes never leaving the commander. "Relax, Shepard," his voice was well-worn and firm, a calculated tone that indicated a sense of amusement. "I'm no threat to you here."

"That doesn't answer my question."

A small smile was betrayed by the man, "I am the founder of Cerberus. I am the one who wanted to bring you back. I am the Illusive Man, Shepard."

Tali stiffened next to him as she slowly drew her shotgun, pointing it at the hologram anyway. The human clucked, "Come now, Miss Zorah. What would that do to me anyway if you fired? You would miss what I would have to say."

"It would certainly make me feel a lot better," Tali snapped. "You attacked the _Rayya_. You tried to kill me. You tried to take John. Why _not_ cut you off right now?"

The Illusive Man nodded in interest, "You going on a first name basis with your crew these days, Shepard?"

"That's none of your damn business," Shepard growled. "What the hell do you want and how did you even get here?"

"The second part is none of your concern, only that my ship's AI unwittingly played its part perfectly. It provided us with the knowledge to travel to the Collector base so that its technology could be used to better humanity. All when you inserted that IFF into its databanks."

"Use the tech? What tech? The ones that liquefy humans and turn them into fuel for the Reapers? That won't make anything better, that's just sick."

"Shepard, I'm disappointed," the man sighed. "I would have thought that _you_, of all people, would be willing to do whatever is necessary to protect the human race."

Shepard smiled grimly, "That's where you're wrong, asshole. You and I both know that your causes are not for the betterment of anyone except Cerberus. Don't insult me by pretending that you have humanity's best interests at heart, because you don't. And I will not let humans, or anyone else, access this technology. No good can come from it because its uses were tainted."

"You're only scared of what you may find," came the man's chiding. "Only too dense to see the entire picture here. With what this base holds, we can unlock the secret to stopping the Reaper forces, you and I can-"

Shepard laughed suddenly, "So _that _was why you wanted me. You wanted your very own Commander Shepard puppet, not to destroy your enemies like I originally thought, but to be used to hand any Reaper technology over to you on a silver platter."

"You would have been the perfect tool for either occasion. Only you've been a liability _before _the beginning. _You _owe us, Shepard. You owe _me_." The man was now leaning forward, face set as he became more and more visibly agitated.

"I owe you _nothing_. I didn't ask for you to bring me back and I certainly did not ask to have the opportunity to work with Cerberus." Tali glanced over at him and he caught himself, giving her a knowing smile before turning back to face the Illusive Man, "But I am grateful for the second chance that you've given me. So I suppose I must thank you, at the very least. But that's all you're going to get out of me."

"I don't want your _words_, Shepard," the Illusive Man seethed. "I want you to step aside and hand over that base to me _now_."

"Words are all you've been giving me this whole time. I still don't see why I should continue to let the Collectors live so that you can play mad scientist with your brand new toys."

"They don't have to live! A timed radiation burst will kill everything living in that station. The Collectors will be gone and the attacks will stop."

Shepard ignored the man, walking over to a terminal on the platform, glowing green at his approach. Typing in command sequence, he spoke over his shoulder, "The attacks _will _stop, but on my own terms."

"What are you doing?!"

A final punch of a key and the screen closed. Shepard turned back around with a smug smile, "Watching you lose. I just set the station to overload its core systems in about ten minutes."

"You _what!?_"

"Ah, well," Shepard theatrically sighed. "Guess my finger slipped. Whoops."

"Disarm it _right now!_"

Shepard gave an exaggerated shrug, "Can't. Security systems here have no failsafes. That's rather unfortunate. Regardless, we're done here and I'm done talking to you."

The Illusive Man scowled, "As am I." He gave a curt turn of his head, never taking his eyes off Shepard, "Leng."

The last of the dust had dissipated by the time a crackling of static sounded. Just off to the left of the hologram, on the edge of the platform, the tactical cloak disabled and Kai Leng bellowed as he sprinted at Shepard, feet away.

Shepard was not expecting the man to be so quick but he managed to throw up his omni-blade just in time to block the slice from the ninjato. Leng, expecting a hasty reaction, whirled and thumped the cyborg solidly in the midsection with a well-placed kick, knocking him down and momentarily stunning him.

When Shepard made contact with the ground, his finger involuntarily clenched the trigger on his pistol, causing it to go off harmlessly in the air. He groaned as he tried to sit up but his vision filled with red as a silver blur passed in a diagonal arc towards his face. There was a long sting and blood flew as the sword scraped across his face, trailing above his eye, across his nose, and just above his mouth. He fell back on the ground, wincing as it felt like his face was on _fire_.

Tali cried out in surprise as she saw the shocking silver and black of his metal endoskeleton exposed underneath the thin layer of flesh and partial cartilage. Part of his jawline was revealed as blood dripped from his wounds. Tali tried to run over to help but was forced to jump backward as Leng started after her. Before he could strike, however, an azure wave slammed into the operative, knocking him to the side but still maintaining his footing as he skidded along the ground.

Kaidan clenched a glowing fist, "_Here_, you son of a bitch!" Snarling, Leng rushed the biotic, using his sword to bat away the weaker attacks Kaidan pushed forward. For a moment, it looked like one push would connect solidly with the human but he launched off on a foot and _cartwheeled _over the incoming blast. He performed a series of complex flips and crouched, studying his opponents and grinning.

"Hold _still!_" Kaidan yelled as he now produced his assault rifle. Checking to see if there was a clip in the gun, he brought it to his shoulder and fired. Leng, watching the human's every move, jumped to the side as the bullets passed him by. Kaidan cursed and adjusted his aim, firing again. The operative jumped once more as he now began to run, pace ever increasing. Kaidan, starting to panic, fired at will but Leng held up his arm and the kinetic barrier blocked all incoming shots, dissipating harmlessly against the invisible shield.

Before Kaidan could hastily swing his rifle at Leng, the other man ducked underneath his gun, pushing it aside and shoved his sword up through his armor, between his ribs. Shepard could only watch in horror as the biotic collapsed, clutching at the wound, blood spilling from his chest. He roared in response for his fallen comrade and charged at Leng, who jumped aside to dodge his mighty swing.

"Any more takers, Shepard?" Leng taunted as he stepped from his evasion.

"_Come on then_," Shepard spat, Tali behind him and out of harm's way. "Time's wasting."

"As you wish."

Leng jumped and thrust out a food in mid-air, looking for it to land on the cyborg's damaged face. Shepard ducked and held up an arm to collide with the blade as it clanged near his legs. Leng disengaged and backed up a bit before lunging in a thrust. Shepard barely moved aside and chopped his arm down to bring his omni-blade cutting across the man's back.

Impossibly fast, Leng threw himself bodily aside, Shepard's arm passing through air. Looking up, he saw the man produce a pistol and fire a glowing blue pulse at him. Shepard's weakened shields broke and electricity shot all over him but the armor conducted the brunt of the blast, allowing him to still stay coherent even as the disruptor rounds sparked in his face.

There was a _boom_ and Kai Leng stuttered backward, face emblazoned with fury. Tali moved around Shepard and fired her shotgun, pushing the human back with each burst of her gun. Leng's shields fizzled but did not fail as he planted his feet firmly on the ground, being knocked back less and less with each salvo.

"Tali!" Shepard shouted, "Get back! Get away from him!"

The shotgun clicked as the heat sink automatically ejected and Leng seized his chance. He broke into a roll and as he exited, he swept his foot across in a quick arc, catching Tali's legs and sending her to the floor as well, her breath knocked out of her. Shepard ran towards Leng before he could strike her but the agent was prepared for this sort of attack. He lazily ducked Shepard's swing of the blade and used the commander's forward momentum to push him aside, turning him so that his back was now facing him.

There was a sharp pain in the back of his left knee and Shepard collapsed, temporarily unable to support himself. His leg felt sluggish, it had been critically damaged by the sword's swing. He tried to get on his knees so that he could face Leng, raising his right arm in defense when pain suddenly blinded him and he fell on the ground, momentarily blacking out.

For some reason, he couldn't feel his right arm. He tried to move his fingers when he tilted his head up, nerve endings firing blankly. A hand and set of fingers lay in front of him, wrapped in the black and red N7 armor he usually wore. Numbly, he looked at his right side and saw that his arm was gone. It ended halfway up his forearm as the black chassis sparked uselessly and the synthetic layer of skin was drained of blood. There wasn't as much pain as he thought, the replicated nerves only delivering so much data to detect mere flesh wounds. They just weren't programmed in to consider the effects of dismemberment, resulting in a tingling sensation from where his arm should have been. Horrid whirring noises came from his ruined arm and leg, servos desperately trying to work past the devastating damage as he faltered.

"_John!_" Tali cried from on the ground, lying on her stomach. "John, get up! Get- _AAAHHH!_" She screamed as Kai Leng's blade bit through the back of her shoulder and through her suit, pinning her to the ground. Blood ran down the blade as she shrieked, metal biting into bone.

_Her suit's breached_, Shepard could only think. Clenching his eyes shut, willing his lame leg to move, he shook on the ground and howled in misery, spit flying from his mouth.

The Illusive Man still stood to the side, sadly shaking his head, "Did you not think that there would be consequences, Shepard? That you could get away from us all this time? You thought that you could run roughshod over us. You've been arrogant and sloppy. Now you pay the price."

Kai Leng grinned as he knelt between Kaidan and Tali, the former groaning and rolling on the ground, the latter moaning and clutching at her shoulder where the blade was still embedded, as if she was trying to seal her suit from any further infections.

"She's not dead yet, Shepard!" Leng yelled victoriously. "This was just a taster, but you get to decide who gets the axe in the end." He pointed furiously at the incapacitated Kaidan, then at Tali as he wiggled the blade a bit in her shoulder, making her scream some more in pain. "Who's it going to be?! Your fellow human, or this disgusting alien bitch?"

Shepard's vision was turning hazy as he fought to clear it. He reached out with his left arm as his fingers grasped for purchase. Hate and all things unholy were flooding through his mind, focused on the figure standing over Tali. The thought of pulling the man's guts out through his mouth came to mind, and Shepard kicked out with his foot, pushing himself forward. Fifteen meters to go.

"You're going to crawl to the one you want to save, fucker," Leng hissed as Shepard groaned on the ground. The man's ugly face was the only discernable object as he reached out again and slid his body over the rough ground.

Next to him, Kaidan coughed and rolled on his back. His eyes widened, as if perceiving the commander for the first time. Far away, Shepard continued to uselessly clamber forward, still not towards any particular person, driven by rage alone.

Reach, grab, drag. Ten meters to go.

"Crawl, Shepard," Leng said quietly through clenched teeth. "_Crawl_."

Reach, grab, drag. Seven meters.

"If you lay with animals, you deserve to be treated as an animal," Leng roared. "_Crawl_, damn it!"

Reach, grab, drag. Three meters.

Kaidan winced as he started to sit up, unnoticed by Leng who was busy towering over the quarian with glee, basking in her agony, her sorrow. He craned his neck at Shepard, who was still pathetically crawling away. Kaidan's lips were flecked with blood as he coughed, trying to will his punctured lungs to retain enough air to speak.

"_Shepard_," the voice was little more than a ragged whisper.

The commander's head came up, white and black metal seeping underneath a pink covering as his eyes focused in despair. Kaidan smiled as he concentrated, letting dark energy fill his person, letting it overpower his injury for a short time. Shepard's look was confused as Kaidan continued to glow.

The biotic breathed in deeply, "I've...used up my...chance. It...isn't fair to...save me twice."

_Kaidan_, Shepard mouthed. _No_.

He shook his head, perfectly content, "Save _her_." Before anyone could utter a final word, form a final thought, Kaidan roared and shunted his hand out, a purple force bursting forth and catching Kai Leng in the side. The operative was pushed back a few feet, still clutching the sword that had stabbed Tali, who had grunted when it was pulled out of her. Kaidan got to his feet, blood streaming out of his mouth, trying to breathe around the red liquid when Leng sat up and hurled his sword. It spun three times in the air, point glinting in the dull light as it sailed over Tali, across Shepard's field of vision.

Kaidan grunted as he felt the point puncture him, the blade rudely pushing aside skin and organs as it continued on its preset path. He stumbled backward a few steps, nearing the edge of the platform, coughing lightly, staring mildly at the sword embedded in his chest. Shepard's face was held in pure horror as Kaidan gave a small smile, enjoying the moment together.

With a final look, he tilted his body back and let himself fall, face peaceful as his body tipped off the edge. And then he was gone. Without a trace, without a sound. Just _gone_.

_Oh no...Kaidan…_

Leng groaned as he leaped to his feet, drawing his pistol as he now stalked toward the edge, perhaps to confirm for himself whether the biotic was truly dealt with. He shook his head, remembering that his boss was watching and stepped over Tali's prone body to take a look.

In that instant, she struck.

Tali's arm scythed inches across the ground, her boot knife in her hand. The sharp blade bit through the achilles tendon in Leng's right foot and he screeched, tumbling to the ground, his pistol knocked over the edge of the platform. The second his guard was down, Tali was on him, rolling across and gripping his head in a lock. She wrapped her good arm around the human's neck as she pulled with her other. Her legs wrapped around his body, holding him in place. Leng spluttered in her grip as he wildly kicked his legs around trying to get free.

Shepard got to his feet and moved to pull Leng off but Tali screamed, "_No! No, he's mine!_" Startled, he backed off, limping as she continued to constrict her grip.

The Illusive Man stood, watching, his cigarette smoldering in his grip, a sour look on his face as his top operative was strangled before his very eyes. Leng's tongue was now darting out of his mouth, bloated, as his desperately tried to clear his airway for the slightest shred of a breath. Tali was grunting as she closed her eyes, feeling every cord of muscle in her body tense. She felt a bead of sweat drip down her nose as she fumbled with her breathing.

Kai Leng was turning as red as a tomato, starting to weakly scream as the last of his breath was expelled. His blows on the quarian's arms were starting to fade as they meekly slid across her suit. His legs were becoming more feeble as the staccato pattern they beat across the ground soon quieted.

Now was the moment.

With a yell that encompassed her anger for the man she was throttling, and for the love she held for Shepard, Tali _wrenched _her arms ferociously and Leng's neck twisted in an unnatural angle with a mighty _SNAP!_ Instantaneously, all movement in Kai Leng ceased, his legs stopping in place, arms falling to the side. All of his muscles relaxed as the severed nerves failed to pass on the brain's instructions, head lolling to the side.

Tali continued to tightly clutch the humans neck with all her might, still unconvinced that the man was dead. Her body was shaking horribly as small sobs came from her voice modulator, tears ran unseen down her cheeks as she cried. It was only until she felt a gentle touch at her hands did she relax, gratefully grasping it and letting go of the hateful man as Shepard guided her up to her feet. The second she reached the top, she flung herself at him in a hug, trying not to look at the stump of his ruined arm.

A nearby glow caused the both of them to look to the side as the Illusive Man walked back into view, livid. "You may think you have won here, Shepard, but all you've done is weaken humanity. You may very well have already doomed us all with your misguided-"

Tali's hands shot to Shepard's back and yanked his pistol from its magnetic strip. She pointed it in the middle of the man's chest, right at the projector and snarled through her hot tears, "_Shut up, you bastard._" The tiny sphere exploded in a sea of jagged metal and molten plastic, the last view of the Illusive Man was of complete shock, his image winking out in a mass of static.

Tali's arm dropped to her side, "I _hate _him."

Shepard laughed weakly as he awkwardly hugged her with one arm, "God, I love _you _so much. Do you know that?"

A giggle burst out of her, "Yeah, kinda." Her hand lightly brushed the huge scratch on his face, the diagonal one that had cut down to the metal. "Are you in any pain? How badly does it hurt?"

He interrupted her impromptu examination by reaching up with his one hand as he looked at her shoulder, which was stained red around where the ninjato had entered and exited her body. "It's not that bad, actually. But...are you going to be okay? That blade punched clean through your suit, how much-"

"Arm's a little sluggish," she cleared up for him. "Auto sealants in the suit should have prevented any airborne infection from setting but I still think that I'm going to spend a few days bedridden regardless."

"As long as that bed is next to mine and you're fine, I'm okay with that."

"You _bosh'tet_," she teased.

* * *

When Garrus and the others finally arrived to pick up Shepard and Tali, they could see why it had taken them so long. Collectors of every shape and size had been swarming the platform while they had been busy in the central chamber. It was a wonder they had held out for as long as they did.

Not bothering to stop, Mordin maneuvered the platform close to theirs, so that they hopped on at the last minute. Once everyone was on board, it zoomed away, leaving their pursuers far behind. One minute later, the edge docked against the stable rock of the main structure, everyone scampering off and making for the ship at the far end of the hallway.

Shepard could not keep up with the rest of them so he yelled at his crew to go without him. This had the immediate effect of everyone ignoring his order, falling back to help their crippled commander. Garrus took Shepard's left side while Tali took his right, helping him along while Liara and Mordin covered them all.

The edge of the craft seemed to shine in the distance as they rounded the final corner. Aside from the quarian at his side, it was the most beautiful thing Shepard could recall seeing. Harbinger was on their tails, screaming the most vague threats as Shepard disregarded him. The Collector screamed in wrath as the Normandy departed, his voice touching Shepard's mind as he hobbled over to a spare seat.

"**You have changed nothing, Shepard. Your free will is a concept long eradicated that you erroneously believe to be an irreversible truth. This is not a victory, this is only the beginning. Prepare yourselves for the arrival.**"

Then the spiderweb of red cracks vanished from the Collector willingly, the departure still turning the creature to dust, causing its cohorts to look at it with incredulosity, wondering why Harbinger had chosen now to leave.

The decision became obvious as flames hot enough to melt flesh exploded out of every wall. Shrieks and clicks filled the air as the methane rich atmosphere ignited with a _whoomp! _ Pressure building inward, the flames burst in a wide radius, shattering every support, breaking into the beyond.

As the Normandy streaked away from the doomed station, it became rocked by the shockwave as the Collector structure detonated. A sphere of fire spread out from the pieces that were flung away, reaching toward the tiny frigate as it tried to escape, engines straining to stay ahead.

Thankfully, the rear of the craft glowed and it disappeared into the FTL void, the inferno engulfing the area it had just inhabited seconds before, undulating and churning the molten matter within. The light from the Collector's pyre eventually bent and angled away from the path sent from its momentum, turning towards the rip in space that lay millions of kilometers away.

The black hole calmly consumed the light as it brought forth the dark.


	22. Epilogue: The One and Only (Part II End)

A pleasant shade of lilac filtered down upon the bed. In addition to the soft blue in the corner, the cool colors provided an easy transition for Shepard as he rose from his slumber. He yawned aloud in the air, stretching his arms wide as he looked to his left, his last thought coming to him.

The bed on his side was empty but indented. Shepard had placed a hand over the area and found it to be still warm. He smiled, Tali must have gone downstairs for something to eat, the chronometer on the nearby next indicated that it was early morning after all.

Gazing upward, he saw the familiar arms of the Citadel situated above him. It was the sight that had greeted him in his cabin for the past five days. He had spent two of them recovering in a hospital bay before his insistence on recovering in a more comfortable location was granted, allowing him to move back into the Normandy and recuperate in a more social environment.

He lifted his left arm and gently prodded the bandage that ran across his face in a diagonal line. The cut had been deep but there was no permanent damage that had occurred. Synthetic flesh scarred but the injury had completely torn a significant strip from Shepard's face. In the end, he needed to have a careful growth application directly to the wound so that he could maintain his normal appearance. This way, there would be no mark once the bandages were removed, no evidence that he had received an injury of any sort.

Alliance technicians, the same ones who had modified him, had mended his leg, skin layer covering the job they had done with his modifications. They had reported, much to his surprise, that the leg had been completely ruined by Kai Leng, bits of metal had been jutting out, piercing the skin as it looked like a strut had exploded from within. Of course, when one's ability to feel pain is dramatically lessened, it is unlikely that anyone would consider injuries the same again. They had to spend six hours working at the destroyed hydraulics and shock absorbers to make it work well again. To Shepard's relief, they succeeded.

His right arm lay across his lap, connected to his body once more, completely bare of any skin. The technicians didn't want to complete it right away as they wanted his other injuries to heal first. This time, the fingers and structure of the apparatus were silver-white, almost ivory, as they glinted from the twinkling stars above. The familiar clicks and whirs coming from the gears and rotors of the arm were all too fresh in his mind. It was a partial step backwards but at least he wasn't staring at his hideous mug underneath it all. At least this time, he knew that his arm would be completed in short order. If they could do it once, they could do it again.

He kicked off his covers and stood from the bed, stretching his legs. There were no twinges or any halting movements that impaired his ability to walk. He was whole again, in a sense. A long glove was on the edge of the bed and he picked it up. Shaking it a couple times, Shepard pulled it over the exposed metal of his arm, he didn't want to see it any longer than necessary, a habit that he started when he noted that Tali wasn't exactly taking to his appearance all that well. That being done, he paced around the room a few times, waking himself up gradually when the door to his cabin slid open and the one person he wanted to see at the moment walked in.

Tali seemed to glide across the room, which meant that she was in a happy mood. Her arm was in a sling, she too had to be operated on to set the bones that were misaligned when she was stabbed. Somehow, she had found the time and the equipment to patch up the pair of holes where the sword had entered her suit. Even on a close examination, you could never tell what had happened for the suit had been meticulously pieced together and sealed shut.

Just as she had predicted, she had been confined to her bed once she had exited surgery due to the sudden rise of a fever. There was no way to tell whether this had been brought on from her night with Shepard or when her suit was exposed to the Collector's atmosphere. Either way, her core temperature had risen so much that when they shared their bed, Shepard could feel the heat radiate off her in waves, concerning him to the point where he had to wrap her in several blankets for a couple nights while he watched from the couch, making sure that she was comfortable enough and not tossing and turning.

Tali, despite her condition, absolutely adored the fact that the days had calmed down enough for her and Shepard to spend some alone time once they had been properly patched up. Sleeping in the same bed, as friends and lovers, was a privilege that most quarians never got to experience, so she made sure to treasure them accordingly. Shepard could not get sick from her illness, or as she put it: an "acute allergic reaction," so this did not stop him in any way from holding her tightly as they slept, preventing her from crying out in pain brought on from her hazy delirium.

She, in turn, had also noted that Shepard's attitude had improved brightly shortly after he had come back to the Normandy. However, there was one such incident, the first night they had been together again, when Shepard simply sat down on the couch after walking in and immediately started to sob. Distressed, she had run over to him and gripped his body with her good arm as Shepard held his head in his hands.

It took a while before she finally realized that he was whispering a word many times over. Straining to hear, she finally caught the faint sound of, "_Kaidan...Kaidan…_" repeated again and again.

Kaidan Alenko. The Alliance commander who had sacrificed himself for her. The man who had never doubted his superior officer, stuck by his side when the worst was in front of them. A soldier and a friend, now gone. It never hit Tali until then that someone she knew so well as a close comrade was dead, but died making sure that _she _lived. He had died showing more respect for her than her father ever did, a fact that hammered Tali to her very core as she suddenly felt heavier as despair overcame her. As she sank into the soft surface, she recalled that it had felt like hours as the two of them cried together, mourning the loss of the young soldier and his brave final act. Tali had given a mental thanks to the human, wherever he was now, for allowing her to be with Shepard a little while longer.

Shepard still carried that far-away look of brooding when she walked up to him now, running a hand over his face, palm smoothed over the bandages as she reached up to him. He instinctively used his right arm to hold her exploring palm, the odd sensation of firm fingers flooding back to her as she relaxed in his grip.

His thoughts abruptly turned to Tali as she touched him, "How's your fever?"

She nodded, "Much better. It should be gone in the next day or so."

Shepard gave a tired smile, "I'm glad." Leading her over to the couch, where they had spent most of their time, they sat down and proceeded to stare up at the nebula, past the overarching structure of the Citadel. They silently watched ships fly by for a few minutes until Tali worked up the courage to speak.

"Still thinking about Kaidan?"

He clutched her with his hand tightly, "Yes. I am."

"He was a good man," Tali soothed him. "A wonderful person."

"He was," Shepard agreed. "He was a great friend." He tapped his free hand against his leg as he turned his head a bit, "How are the others taking it?"

"Liara's been locked up in her room, she's still in shock. Garrus is still passed out at the bar from drinking all night."

"Poor guy," he sighed. "Still, I'd imagine it's a send off that Kaidan would smile at. He was always the first one to make a beeline for the beers. Bless that turian."

"And what about you, John?" she now indicated. "How are _you _holding up?"

Shepard adjusted his position on the couch, "I honestly can't say. On one hand, we just won a major victory by beating the Collectors, but I don't know if the price we paid was too high. Hundreds of thousands of colonists lost to build a Reaper, twenty men under my command, and a friend I've known for a long time. I don't know _how _I should feel at the moment."

Tali leaned her head across his shoulder, "Did you really think you could save _all _of us?"

"I did at one point!" Shepard scowled. "I understand that even if one person is left standing then it's considered a victory but that's not what I want! I want for _everyone_ to come home safely, all of them! To see people taken right in front of me, killed following my orders, I now know that I am helpless to what's about to come...but I have to believe that everything will be all right…"

"Shhh," Tali whispered to the agitated human, "You're just one man. You're not omniscient. If you help everyone in need, you will burn yourself out."

"That's just what I _do_, Tali," Shepard shrugged sadly. "Doing that helped me meet you in the first place. What does that say about me if I give up _now_?"

"Well, it certainly tells me one thing."

"And that is?"

She lovingly stroked his cheek, with the hand that wasn't confined to the sling, "That I chose well."

He clutched her hand and kissed the back of it, sending tingles up her arm, causing her to smile warmly. He looked up at her and grinned, "As did I."

She leaned on him so that her back was touching his chest. She felt his strong hands wrap around her waist and she sighed as they tenderly caressed her midsection. Shepard, feeling the effects of withdrawal, could not help himself as he bent his head to kiss the shoulder of Tali's suit. She shuddered all the same, feeling his gentle touch and letting out a low groan as his hands started to travel upward, stroking her arms.

Eventually, she felt her muscles relax and she collapsed completely on him. Her hands reached up and grasped his, pulling them down so that she could cross them over her chest. Her breathing calmed as his fingers began to gently brush her hands, unable to do anything else from her desperate clamp.

She breathed to the heavens above, "I wish I'd met you earlier. I would do anything to have more time like this. Just us, no threat of war looming over our heads. Just you and me."

Shepard closed his eyes in his position, breathing in silent agreement, "That actually reminds me of an idea. A very old concept that some humans still cling to back on Earth."

"What?"

"Well, some believe that after death the soul lives on in a process called reincarnation. If that soul has a partner, a mate, then they are destined to meet in the next life, and the one after that. It sort of conforms to the overall concept of being soulmates, that the two are not complete without the other beside it."

Tali looked up, eyes wide and shining, "That sounds..._beautiful_, John. Do you really believe such a thing is possible?"

He shrugged, "It's hard to say at this point. I would most certainly like to believe it because I'll know then that we will never be apart for long. That I'll always find you in the end. If I think about it like that...then I feel more optimistic towards the future."

She began toying with his fingers, "It also means that we have done this before, if we look deeper into its meaning."

"That is very true. Hell, I might have been a quarian at some point, if you think about it."

"And _I_ could have been a human," Tali groaned mockingly. "Ugh, I can't imagine myself with all of that pink flesh and these ten fingers. What am I supposed to do with all of them?"

"Could be worse," Shepard defended, "We both could have been krogan."

That caused a genuine laugh to erupt from the both of them, as they choked back tears from the action. Tali burrowed her helmet into Shepard's arm as she giggled helplessly while the human fought to maintain his composure. Once their chortling had subsided, both breathed out in relief, feeling the heat surge to the other from the strenuous act.

"I love you, John," Tali breathed, facing forward.

He tenderly stroked the back of her hood, "I love you, Tali."

And they both meant it.

* * *

The polished shoe tapped an angry rhythm on the equally shiny floor. The black tile reflected the light from the sun across from them as the man in the chair furiously stubbed out the butt of a cigarette, smoke rising lazily from the ashtray.

Multiple monitors were flaring with data in front of the man in the chair while the other figure stood silently behind him, hands behind his back. A holographic representation of the cylindrical Collector station appeared to the sitting man's right, taken by scans from Kai Leng's final mission.

The figure standing didn't open his mouth. He would speak when spoken to. He had learned that lesson the hard way and it was a mistake he was keen not to repeat.

The Illusive Man sighed, leaning back on the headrest as he rubbed his temples, "Shepard seems to be quite adept at costing me more than time and money."

That was his cue, "Turning Shepard over to our cause was always going to be a difficult prospect. The man has never held loyalty toward us or our objectives."

"Which was why special precautions were put into place so that him getting loose would never happen! Now look, an entire fleet decimated, the Collector base destroyed, and a top operative dead. What other tricks does the man have up his sleeve?"

"If you're suggesting that transferring him over into his current body was a mistake, I assure you that-"

"Be quiet, I hold no ill will toward you for this, despite my attitude at the moment. I am more concerned with the lack of effort demonstrated by members of this organization!"

The figure coughed, "I assure you, sir, that I have done my best in every situation you've given me. I have had no reason to not take every situation as seriously as possible." The Illusive Man did not speak so the man continued, "Leng was a skilled warrior, but he was arrogant, overzealous. He had thought he had gained the upper hand over Shepard when he clearly ignored the other variables present alongside him, resulting in his downfall."

"Are you presuming that you are better than Leng was? Do I have to remind you, that _you _also failed once in a situation eerily similar to this?"

"I had not forgotten, sir," fear surprisingly absent from his voice. "I am merely pointing out the errors made in Shepard's favor, allowing him and his squad to gain the upper hand."

The Illusive Man turned his chair around, away from the monitors, his attention squarely on the figure now, "And you? Do you recall the errors _you_ made?"

"They have been rectified, sir," he raised a hand in reassurance. "I can meet Shepard head on, now. I can beat him, sir."

"That is what _Leng _claimed," the man sat back in his chair. "And he is not here any longer."

"Leng used his past victories to create his own mental image of invulnerability. My mistakes have been put on full display for me to learn from. You've placed a large amount of stock in me by allowing me to stand here today. Unless if you were truly desperate, you would not have confided in me otherwise."

The Illusive Man steeped his hands together and smiled, speaking quietly, "You truly are too clever for your own good, you know that?" When the man didn't reply, probably a wise move, the Illusive Man stood and motioned for him to follow as they walked toward the window. "It was a mistake, I'll admit, placing my faith in Leng to track down and kill Shepard. The man was as controllable as a rabid dog, no finesse, no art. Just rage. However, despite these setbacks, I don't think I'll count the commander out as a total loss just yet."

"Sir?"

"He still has his uses," the man clarified, "His aim towards defeating the Reapers runs parallel to our goals, which means he can unwittingly provide us with the kind of lateral support that would be beneficial to us."

"What is it that you would have me do?"

"What it is I tell you." The blue glow of the small, hot star washed over their faces and caused the Illusive Man to slightly squint through the darkened windows. He turned around, the back of his head illuminated, as he spoke, "You are _not _to go after Shepard."

"Understood, sir," the reply came promptly, not a trace of disappointment in his voice.

"This does not bother you?"

"In my opinion, tracking Shepard is a waste of time and resources. As you said, his goals run parallel to ours so it would be logical to consider the fact that we will run into each other eventually.

"Like I said," the Illusive Man gave a tiny smile, "Too clever for your own good."

A tiny bit of pride passed through the figure at that, but he dared not show it, merely nodding as he pressed for information once more, "What would you have me do, if not to go after Shepard?"

The well-dressed man sighed, "The Reapers are coming, my friend. It will only be a matter of months until they arrive but until that time, we simply wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, when everyone else is..._indisposed_."

"So, we use the upcoming invasion as a diversion for _our _objectives."

"Precisely," the Illusive Man's expression suddenly turned cold as the color of the star outside. "I will send you on missions of extreme importance that will have a great effect on things to come. _You_ will be my personal right hand from this point forward. You speak with _my_ voice now."

The man's face chilled, "However, I expect nothing but calm professionalism from here on out. Fail me one more time and I will not bring you back in. Do _not _make this a personal vendetta against Shepard, I have no time for men on missions of revenge. That is not the purpose of what I am sending you out to do and if you make it any business other than mine, you _will_ be discarded, got it?"

"Perfectly, sir," came the curt response, unfazed by the waving light shining through. "Shepard will be dealt with in due time anyway but I _will _hold back until you give the word. Make no mistake, I have no intentions of letting you down again."

"See to it that you remember that well. Will you be ready to head out at a moment's notice when the time comes?"

"Undeniably, sir. I am most anxious to begin."

* * *

**To be concluded in Part III: Inferno!**

* * *

_**A/N: Two parts down, one to go! Wow, we've come a long way, haven't we?**_

_**I hope you enjoyed this part as much as I did writing it. Drop a review on the board if there is something that catches your eye, both good or bad.**_

_**I will release my commentary tomorrow before I take a short break as I revise this part and correct any typos.**_

_**Thank you all for sticking with me so far, there's still a lot more story to get through so don't go far! I'm excited to see them to fruition.**_

_**You've been a great and receptive audience, keep at it!**_


	23. Author's Notes: Flesh

Well, this got completed faster than I thought.

I'm probably not the best judge to decide which portion of the story was better written, but I do think that this one got the main story on track with its tone and what not. Hell, I've done my best to implement proper punctuation and grammar wherever applicable and have worked at the story to iron out the kinks and plot holes to make it as solid as possible. I've said it before and I'll say it again, _you _can decide whether I've succeeded in that aspect or not.

Since I am my own worst critic, I have to apologize to you fine people for releasing some chapters with inexcusable mistakes in wording or botched lines. Some of these I don't how they managed to slip by me but apparently they did and will be corrected posthaste. That is, if my horrendously blunt writing style didn't drive you away at first.

* * *

**Prologue:**

The idea for this story was to always follow the Mass Effect 2 format as opposed to the previous, more AU centric part in the beginning. This development could be because I lack a proper imagination, or that I'm tired of creating more AU scenarios, but I feel that if I create a story that doesn't follow the exact story proper, then it will still feel fresh for audiences without me having to take huge leaps and bounds with the lore of this universe.

I guess I just like tinkering with what is already available to us as writers. There will be no more OC characters created for this story (I'm done with creating OCs) that will share a notable presence anymore but I will strive to endeavor that no one is OOC in this story. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an OOC character so alert me if I break that rule unintentionally and I'll proceed to give my head a few proper knocks before correcting my mistake.

Playlist:

Opening: "Flying Over Afghanistan" by Patrick Doyle from the film _Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. _ Imagine if this would accompany the titles, if you will.

**Chapter 1:**

I did mention in the last story that I was going to downplay the aspects of Shepard's robotic body and giving him a new and improved layer was what I meant (if there weren't any Terminator undertones present in the beginning they certainly are here now). It may seem like I'm just throwing an original concept (or so I've been told) under the bus here and I can understand some frustrations people might have with that. The fact of the matter was, I thought that I was a little too heavy handed with handling the concept in the first part so I didn't want to keep hitting people over the head with reminding them that, "Oh hey look, Shepard is a robot. Can't you tell?"

It got to the point where I was getting repetitive with my work so I decided to spin it off in a tangent. This way, it solves a couple relationship issues that would have been rather...interesting had I not chosen to give Shepard his skin back. As much as I like writing this, I would rather not go into the bizarre here. I'm trying to make this story as grounded as possible, as legible as possible.

Playlist:

Rejuvenation: "Flesh of My Flesh" by Clint Mansell from the film _Noah_. A nice interlude to accompany the scene when Shepard goes in and awakes from surgery.

**Chapter 2:**

I believe that it was around this point that I started to get a little bored of writing. Maybe this was because this was the dullest point in the story and I was anxious of getting to the better parts.

For that matter, it did open the way for Shepard and Tali to start awkwardly flirting with each other and allowing her to join up almost immediately (seeing as her father is already dead and she has no other obligations to take up her time…)

And yes, if it wasn't immediately obvious, that _was _Zaeed that I had Shepard kill at the end. I figured that it had been a while since I offed a notable character so I wrote the scarred mercenary in as yet another casualty for Shepard. I guess I can now add him to the list of people I've most likely offended for killing off characters that are fan favorites, alongside Miranda.

The point of adding Zaeed was to demonstrate the fact that Cerberus was trying to go ahead with its own projects by hiring outside help like they always intended. Since they didn't have Shepard and his charming personality with them to convince any aliens to temporary ally with the terrorist force, they resorted to simply hire amongst their own race.

It also suggests that Shepard really doesn't need to build a team for this outing as he has the full support of the Alliance, access to a mass of ground troops, and the full support of the Council. Why would he need to build a team in the first place? Also, the people he does join with are, for the most part, already loyal or prior circumstances have altered the need to do loyalty missions.

For example: Kaidan is already loyal, in the game he was mistrustful of Shepard due to his association with Cerberus, here Shepard never joined Cerberus so he is more quick to trust his former commander. With Garrus, the rest of his team presumably survived Omega, not requiring him to hunt down Sidonis for revenge. External circumstances have prevented Liara from engaging in a vendetta against the Shadow Broker so there was no need for any further deviations.

The entire process was my way of streamlining the story because the loyalty missions, while important, did not flow with the main story all that well. Here, they have been excised completely, leaving Shepard to just deal with the Collectors as a whole. This might explain why the story was relatively fast paced because I don't like to waste valuable chapters by going off and running fetch quests that have little to no bearing on the main story as a whole.

If it isn't providing any development, it's going on the cutting floor. Which is probably why many characters (squadmates, to be precise) did not show up here and will not show up in the third part. There was no reason for Shepard to be recruiting and characters like Jack, Samara, Thane, etc. are going to remain blissfully unaware of Shepard's personal plight. This decision was made in favor of delivering a clear and concise story without needlessly cluttering it up. Also, I'm not entirely confident about writing for the characters that got the axe here as I don't think that I will do a good job in getting their personalities right.

Playlist:

Welcome to Freedom's Progress: "Muttations" by James Newton Howard from the film _The Hunger Games. _Provides an eerie atmosphere and a hard edge for the Zaeed fight.

**Chapter 3:**

If I wasn't disinterested before, I certainly was writing this chapter.

There's little more that can be said. I needed to bring Mordin into the story so I adapted his recruitment mission but I guess I did so in a matter that was rather flat. It was mostly a transitional chapter that gradually built some character but didn't do much to the overall story. I think I should have that problem corrected when I start the third part but I consider this to be the low point overall.

Either that or my author's note at the end was poorly timed.

Playlist:

Use Your Words: "Pyrrhus Outskirts - Fortification" by Joris de Man from the video game _Killzone 3_. For use during Mordin's fetch quest.

**Chapter 4:**

A nice, chapter-long battle sequence was just what I needed to break me out of my funk. With the M rating, I am given a lot of leeway with what I can write in terms of violence but I constantly find myself having to hold back to make sure that I don't go over-the-top. It's a slippery slope I face, wanting to revel in the blood and gore versus keeping the action consistent with the tone of the games.

I think I managed to hit a key middle area with that, all things considered.

Playlist:

Big Giant Bugs With Guns: "Cemetery Wind" by Steve Jablonsky from the film _Transformers: Age of Extinction_.

**Chapter 5:**

It was a nice surprise for me to have people begging for the Normandy to be in this story. Having the story planned out beforehand, I wanted to introduce the ship in a different way that had shades of the Citadel DLC planted in it, although with less wit and more grit. Hopefully this was in a way that they wanted.

An interesting fact about Kai Leng is that he technically beats Shepard in every encounter the two have together. The only one to make him break ranks is Tali, ironically. I wanted Leng to have a more fearsome presence in this story than in Mass Effect 3 so I wrote him to be an actual physical threat, making sure to harm Shepard every chance he got. Plus, his use of a sword gives me more and more opportunities to throw sword fights in here, gotta love them.

Also, I try to keep any references down to a minimum but since the games have already set the precedent for having quotes from "2001" in there, I think I can be forgiven for including a few lines now and there, can't I?

Playlist:

Just a Scratch: "The Fight" by Alan Silvestri from the film _The Abyss_. Tribal percussion to underline Kai Leng's ethnic origins.

**Chapter 6:**

Initially, this first scene was supposed to happen later in the story, but once I had removed some scenes that were not wholly necessary, I rearranged it to have the fluff start out here. In this particular case, I felt that it was about time that Shepard and Tali recognize their feelings for one another and want to be together. Seeing as I had teased this mercilessly up to that point, I shouldn't think that it would feel rushed for anyone (but that's only my opinion, which happens to be wrong a lot of the time).

If you were to compare it to the main game, then the actual romance process here I would think is a bit more detailed and expansive. Compared to some other fics on this site, however, it is a tad skimpy. But at least I can sit back and look on that scene with approval and go, "Yeah, that works." It might just be my old fashioned notions talking for me, though.

Playlist:

One on One: "Picking this Life" by Patrick Doyle from the film _Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit._ Fluffy piece for a fluffy scene.

**Chapter 7:**

Yet another chapter-long fight sequence. Hopefully the familiarity of it all was tempered by the altered dialogue, I have seen many fics suffer because they didn't try to adhere to an author's individual vision and simply make a cut-and-paste novelization of the events as they happened in the actual game. Whenever possible, I try to include as much detail as my paltry brain can dish out so that the process of going from quotation to quotation isn't so tiring and helps the pacing flow a lot better.

A chapter that I had been preparing to write was going to detail the Collector ship ambushing the Normandy after they start the IFF shakedown (the mission where you control Joker, that is). I was going to have Shepard and his crew remain on the ship when that happens and have him push back against the intruders and back onto the ship itself, where it would be destroyed by the fleet.

I abandoned that particular idea because the overall environment would be rather repetitive and would kill the pacing so I combined elements from that into the chapter you see now.

Collectors Make Poor Hosts: "Marathon" by Junkie XL from the film _300: Rise of an Empire_. Action occupying the latter half of the chapter.

**Chapter 8:**

By looking at the traffic graph, I really should have expected that this chapter would have the highest visitor/view ratio. Silly me, I forgot how much you people like this sort of stuff.

A snippet of trivia, I had actually written roughly half of this chapter before I had even started this story at all (which explains why I was able to post it so quickly). My initial aim was to produce a one-shot of Shepard and Tali's night together but put a more respectful and romantic twist on it rather just resorting to plain smut. I wanted to give the audience the image of what happened between them instead of simply "cutting to black" and leaving everything to the audience's imagination, allowing me to submit my own interpretation. Maybe it's because I'm prudish like that or I just got tired of seeing characters that I liked blatantly disrespected time and again, grating on my unfortunately snobbish sensibilities.

As I wrote it, it became more apparent to me that the audience's connection between Shepard and Tali would be stronger if it was embedded in a larger story so they could be familiar with the little idiosyncrasies that I imparted on these characters, thus I resurrected the concept that you see now and voila. Enjoy it while you can, that's probably the fluffiest crap you're ever going to see from me.

I don't consider the contents of this chapter to be smut. I consider it to be a natural step in the culmination of a relationship that breaks physical boundaries as well as emotional ones. That's what scenes like this should be about, _not _horny teenages jumping their seats at the first sight of skin and yelling, "BOOBS!" _Not _engaging in incredibly awkward positions too unrealistic for use at home. _Not _utilizing awkward and horrid conversations that ruin the mood that is being created.

Honestly, one would think that because of the non-taboo nature of the subject in this particular game universe, these scenes should be handled better. (And there I go again with my ranting.)

Playlist:

Together as One: "A Way of Life" by Hans Zimmer from the film _The Last Samurai._ Resurrecting Tali's appropriated theme for use in a tender moment.

**Chapter 9:**

In favor of not repeating the suicide mission verbatim, some liberties had to be taken with the overall layout of the base. This is going off of the idea that the audience knows what to expect so you can skimp on those areas while delivering in scenes that they have no idea of what to expect at all.

Which was why I inserted the fight with Kai Leng at the end in the first place. ME2's final "boss" has not been universally considered to be a good boss so I wanted to shove him out of the way early on. Having Leng deliver a thrash down heightened the tension dramatically and I also got to lift a scene from ME3's initial deleted script, so that made me happy.

An earlier draft had me write Shepard killing Leng but that was quickly excised when I realized that I wanted Tali to finish the job she started in the first part. Plus, having her do a complete and brutal neck snap is pretty badass. What can I say? Shepard's girl can fight.

Playlist:

The True Monster: "Immaterial" by Neil Davidge from the video game _Halo 4_. A tense suite that encompasses all of the appropriate moods from the conversation with the IM to Leng's untimely demise.

**Epilogue:**

Just a tiny bit of fluff before the upcoming storm. Any guesses on who the mysterious figure is?

Playlist:

End Titles: "Main Theme" by David Buckley from the video game _Call of Duty: Ghosts_. A tad bit of menace to underline on what's to come.

* * *

For the upcoming part III, I will be going immediately into Mass Effect 3's main storyline. Much to my chagrin, many of the missions detailed in the upcoming chapters will share the same overall plot but I do have several twists and turns planned that will make each mission feel a little different, a little more special.

I expect that midway through writing this part, my schedule will start to tighten to the point where I will not be able to post chapters as often as I'd like. That being said, I'm going to say that I hope to complete this by October at the latest. If, for whatever reason, I am unable to complete the story due to time constraints or a lack of interest, I promise that I will skip ahead and write the ending to this tale, as it's an idea that I have yet to see in any fic (that does not mean it doesn't exist already) and it's something I wish to develop further. I would just like to conclude this story on my own terms as it's something I've worked my ass off for the past month and a half. Can't let all that work go to ruin, can I?

If you have any further questions, feel free to PM me or leave a review (just don't go out asking for specific plot points that I haven't released yet because I'm not going to tell you). So far, I'm having a fun time writing this whole thing and I hope you all have been equally entertained.

Don't fret, I'll be back in about a week. That'll give me some time to relax and make corrections while allowing my brain to recover so it can be at its sharpest when the time comes. Let's see what kind of trouble we can get into.

_-Rob_


	24. Prologue: A Soft Bed (Part III Start)

"...It has gotten to the point where the word 'hero' has been delegated to apply in only myth, fantasy, or legend. People say the term no longer applies anymore. Based on my experiences, I respectfully disagree."

-_David Anderson, Adm. Alliance Systems Navy_

* * *

_Six months later_

The overcast clouds hung over the megapolis like a grey sheet. Rain drizzled down, sending small beads of water clinging to the windows on the buildings. Tiny ripples plopped all over Vancouver Harbor, turning the already dreary landscape into a waterlogged mess.

Alliance ships of all shapes and sizes raced up and down the bay, some moving quickly and some residing patiently above as they waited for their clearance to pass through. This was a normal sight for Vancouver citizens, as the city itself was the permanent hub for the Alliance military forces on Earth, so a passing warship tended not to draw too much attention among the streets.

When the United States, Canada, and Mexico united in the late 21st century to form the United North American States, or UNAS, there was some debate over where the center of government should be placed, regardless of the fact that all three countries had effectively merged as one. Reluctantly on a few ends, Washington D.C. was selected to be the center of the government and military as it held the most sentimental value for the majority of its citizens.

Once the mass relays were discovered, and subsequently the Citadel, suddenly the need for a central government for one country did not really seem all that necessary anymore. After all, humans had discovered then that they were not the only ones inhabiting the galaxy that they called the Milky Way and it was rapidly determined that all of the ruling powers on the planet would effectively combine into one all-encompassing government as a way to demonstrate their unity as the newly formed Systems Alliance.

To facilitate the relentless bickering over where Earth's new government should be located, a compromise was reached when Arcturus Station was constructed off-planet, in the very depths of space itself where no one country could claim ownership. Arcturus was where the Alliance parliament would be housed as well as the top ranking members of the military itself as part of a new method of control, strategically giving every country a piece of the metaphorical pie.

In that time, the Vancouver-Seattle area had been delegated to be the Earthside headquarters of the Alliance Navy (a decision that had particularly shocked the Texan Megapolis, who had been vying for the spot for years) which added a boost in income to the area overall. For the past few years, everything in UNAS had been safe in their own private, little world. In fact, everyone on Earth was blissfully oblivious to the goings on in the galaxy, not bothering to venture out and seek answers on their own concerning events not transpiring on their own world, let alone their own city.

It's not like the news of a couple hundred human colonies hit in the last year and half ever made it to the planet without skimming by the propaganda net first. The average citizen would most likely think that pirates only attacked two colonies at most, a hundred would register as practically impossible to their feeble minds. It was a reliable strategy that prevented major panic from occurring in the streets because no one would ever challenge the official reports. Why would they? If someone had spent most of their life on Earth, chances were that they were going to stay there. It was a simple choice, the powers-that-be never told the citizens everything because time has proved that the citizens don't _want _to know everything. An ordinary resident would rather stay in his deluded bubble of calm rather than break out of it in a quest for the answers.

But the answers were coming, even if the questions had been asked or not.

* * *

_**Shepard.**_

He awoke with a start, breathing deeply, pulse racing. The yell he had let out had barely a second to echo before the walls smothered the noise. The room was dark but he could see perfectly fine. Despite that, he still instinctively reached for the lamp on the desk next to him and his optic filters adjusted to the sudden light, causing everything to artificially brighten for a moment in his vision.

He threw the covers off himself and headed for the bathroom, bare feet walking across the carpeted floor. He turned the tap on and wet his hands, plastering them to his face. He groaned in relief as the cold liquid soaked through, driving off the last fragments of sleep.

Hands coming down, John Shepard looked at himself in the mirror, staring intensely. It was all just a dream, Harbinger wasn't there. Just a figment of his imagination that had done a successful job in haunting him this morning. He checked his chronometer and found that it was seventeen minutes to five, Pacific time. Shepard sighed, he didn't want to be up this early but it was not like he had much choice in the matter.

Shepard grumbled and walked over to the window, throwing the switch for the light dampeners. It was still dark outside but there was the faint hint of indigo in the sky, evidence of the sun's inevitable rise over the apartments on the other side of the harbor. Vancouver was a lovely city, Shepard had to admit. He hadn't set foot on Earth as much as he had liked to but this certainly stood out as one of the best places he had visited thus far.

In the barracks where he had been staying for the past six months, he had found that the food was decent (no more freeze-dried microwaved meals), the beds were comfortable, and the company wonderful. To call it a barracks was just military understatement at work, the quarters on Vancouver were likened to what anyone would find at any standard hotel.

It hadn't been Shepard's idea to remain confined on Earth for so long, anyway. It seemed that almost immediately after he had finished recovering from the fight on the Collector base, the Normandy had received a hail from David Anderson, now an admiral, to return to base for an overall refit.

He had been surprised to learn that Anderson had resigned his Council position, but the admiral's response was that Shepard's work at uncovering the mystery behind the colony abductions convinced the man that he would be better suited for a command position, rather than a political one. That job he left to Donnel Udina, a sleazeball if Shepard had ever saw one, but could be counted on to deliver once in a while as he did have humanity's best interests at heart. Udina must have been gloating for days when he found out. It was a moot point, anyhow, Shepard couldn't refuse a direct order, and certainly not one from his former mentor.

However, Anderson had another motivation for drawing Shepard back so abruptly and so forcefully. This was made apparent as soon as the Normandy docked when the admiral stepped on, grim-faced, requesting to see Shepard in private.

It turned out, that while Shepard had been assaulting the Collectors, the Alliance had obtained information regarding the Reapers making a push for the galaxy. Anderson, being the only member on the Council who believed Shepard's report from the Battle of the Citadel, personally selected the 103rd Marine Division to investigate the Viper Nebula for clues. It turned out that Alliance scientists in the system had uncovered a Reaper artifact, one that denoted the time until the Reapers reached the galaxy.

Intrinsic evidence revealed that it could have been mere days before the Reapers would first start to appear within the galaxy so they took over the station, as all of the scientists had been indoctrinated from the artifact, and leveled an asteroid at the system's mass relay to delay the arrival, but they didn't know for how much time the strategy bought them.

The destruction of the relay had the side effect of completely releasing the energy of its mass effect engine, the output on par with a supernova. The mission was a success, the crisis temporarily averted, but the explosion wiped out the system, along with half a million batarian colonists.

Retaliation from the Hegemony aside, the entire bulk of the Alliance forces were now on red alert now that the Reaper threat had been practically confirmed. All ships were to be accounted for and summarily resupplied. Everyone was on edge and it seemed to Shepard that he was finally being taken seriously.

He just wondered if it all was too late.

The prospect of a leave that lasted indefinitely was an unavoidable aspect to break to his crew. All Alliance personnel on the Normandy were found housing and kept in the loop, as per Anderson's instructions. This was fine by Shepard as this meant that Joker, Chakwas, and Adams at least would still be attached to the ship whenever he would receive orders again. But no matter how much the brass tried to butter it up to him, he was still effectively being grounded. Unable to leave the planet, he was more or less a prisoner while he waited for a battle plan to become formulated.

A couple months ago, a new surprise came in the form of a fresh-faced marine whom Anderson had handpicked personally to be a part of Shepard's squad. James Vega, upon first glance, looked like a typical meathead. He was tall, muscular, and bloodthirsty like any stereotypical marine. However, the man had an extremely likable personality, discovered when the two of them engaged in a spontaneous sparring session to kill some time (a match that Shepard won handily, not even resorting to utilizing half his strength).

Vega had a soft voice and a keen mind, traits that Shepard surmised would be put to good use in N7 training. After spending a few days working with the marine, Shepard had come to like the man immensely. Loyalty and skill were two traits but combined with an analytical mind like Vega's and the man could potentially be one hell of a soldier. He still needed an on-site evaluation for that last part. Plus, it was nice to talk with someone new without them putting on a reverent tone as if he was the second coming of Christ himself. Just because he got resurrected once did not mean that he was a messiah by any stretch. He certainly wasn't _built _like one, either. Vega, being a quick study, spoke to him as one would speak to a superior, adopting a very natural tone. All business, no bluster.

His crewmates who weren't Alliance were another matter entirely. Liara volunteered her services as an information broker and Prothean specialist to Admiral Hackett, trying to stave off becoming stir-crazy as a result of being confined to one area. Fortunately for her, Hackett accepted and put her straight to work on Mars, helping to decode the Archives for any potential clues regarding the upcoming invasion. She spoke once a week with Shepard and it seemed like she was doing just fine, showing a bit more enthusiasm as she had been reconnected with her passion for Prothean artifacts. Shepard made a point to tease her about not wandering into any ancient security systems, to which she responded with a mock appeal on trying not to destroy the place if he came visiting. It was true, deftness was not really Shepard's style.

Garrus, in spite of the prospect of potentially returning to Palaven, elected to stay with Shepard. The turian's reasoning came about from the notion that Shepard would "probably rope him into another suicide mission again" when the time came calling. This way, he would be close by in case his friend needed a helping hand at facing the huge machines, or if he needed to plot an escape from this planet in the near future.

In their spare time, Garrus would join the commander for a drink at the bar down the street about a couple times a week. It was always the same bar (the only one that served dextro alcohol in the city) but they made it so that every encounter still felt fresh and interesting. Hell, it was a long time since Shepard could simply relax and enjoy a drink for once, never mind the fact that his modified digestion system filtered out all of the alcohol he consumed within minutes of consumption. For him, getting drunk was a thing of the past.

He knew he wouldn't really have to ask Tali if she wanted to stay or not, but did so anyway and earned quite the tongue-lashing from her for even introducing the ludicrous idea. Guess that answered _that _question.

The unfortunate reality of being housed in the barracks was that only one person was assigned to a room at lights out, no exceptions. This did not mean that Shepard and Tali could not be in the same room together but was a rule implemented as a contingency for the co-ed floors of the quarters. The rule wasn't really enforced all that often, to which Shepard and Tali would take occasional advantage of the laxness as they laid in his bed with each other for a few nights, fully clothed, but making a point to not let such trivial regulations keep them apart for long.

It had come to the point where Shepard had to pull rank just to make sure that Tali's room was situated right next to his. He got no grief from the brass as it seemed they knew of both his and Tali's intimate rapport between each other, somehow. Relationships among the military were not uncommon, as they actually occurred far more frequently than rumor went on, but Shepard's closeness to the quarian still drew looks from whenever they walked down the halls together. To his relief, the stares were not ones of disgust, but of rapt interest and curiosity. To the average soldier, the person who had the honor of claiming the heart of Commander Shepard, disregarding race or sex, was going to be scrutinized by them anyway. People were naturally nosy like that and the fact that the person in question happened to be a _quarian _only amplified their intriguement even more.

Earth was _fascinating _to Tali. Each day she would beg Shepard to take a walk around the city and go someplace she had not visited before. The bustle of the streets, the towering skyscrapers, and the expanse of the bay all were a delight to her eyes. She was lost in a world that was completely foreign to her and loved every minute of it. Her eyes, shining through her visor, told Shepard that she was overwhelmed with wonder (if he couldn't already tell by her body language, a tic that he had picked up early on).

One day, Shepard had gotten leave to venture outside the city for a bit. Taking Tali along, they had rented a skycar for the day and traveled to Olympic National Park, wanting to see the temperate rainforest. If the city of Vancouver had amazed her, then the towering pines and dense wildlife certainly left her speechless.

In spite of the fact that she had visited several planets with dense forests and animals teeming all over the place, it was usually the backdrop for some run-of-the-mill combat zone. Trees would look like obstacles, hills would be vantage points, and logs would be places for cover. Switching her fight-or-flight response off helped her take in the natural splendor of the area and enjoy it alongside Shepard. She would wonder herself how many magnificent landscapes she completely missed in her battle-hardened focus after today, the thought bringing a pang of regret to her.

Wandering through the mossy jungle floor, the yellow sunlight had been particularly hazy from the built-up moisture trapped underneath the canopy. Tali's head had been turning in all directions, frantic to see a brand new world that her friend and lover called home. They had spent hours roaming the grounds, occasionally jogging to see as much as possible (passing by a few hikers as they wheezed along, much to the couple's amusement). They spent their lunch underneath a large sequoia, watching a herd of elk patiently graze on a hill. At the end of the day, they reached the parking lot, hand in hand and laughing, a little tired but very glad that they had made the detour.

At the end of every day, both of them would stretch out on the couch in Shepard's room and watch the Vancouver skyline as the sun set, light glinting off of the metal pillars and foaming ocean. Oftimes they would be simply staring at the various types of ships that passed by their window, trying to guess its origins or purpose in the area. Each evening, they would be wrapped in a perpetual hug, taking advantages of the perks that relationships have to offer. Plus, they were alone in the room so they could act normally with each other without having to physically restrain their base instincts to bring themselves together in an embrace.

A few times since their "leave" began, Tali had made the effort of removing only her mask during these nights. The risks were still there of her getting exposure to a stray bit of bacteria but both of them took all the appropriate steps to lessen the chances of that happening. Whenever this happened, it would always start with the both of them taking a long time, perhaps an hour, just touching the other's face lovingly. Shepard adored it when Tali would reveal her beautiful face to him, knowing that he was the only one to have seen her this way, staring at her impending need that was written all over her face. It was clear that she held these moments dear every time they happened and Shepard wanted each one of them to feel special, to keep her fears at bay so that she could be ultimately comfortable and not afraid to risk a little. The rewards were too tantalizing, anyway.

Once they had gravitated past the initial conversation and brushing of fingers over exposed skin, Shepard and Tali would then spend the rest of the night on the couch, kissing the other hungrily while the hours slipped by, like a pair of lovesick teenagers. Once they had their fill, they would then move onto the bed where Tali would apply her mask again and proceed to fall asleep, fitting snugly in the bed with her human.

Lately, her reactions to being exposed to the outside air had been minor to almost nonexistent as her immune system adapted to the environment of Shepard's room, so she had taken to spending a few of these nights without a mask. She never did it for subsequent days as she didn't want to chance the risks of an infection any more than necessary, although if she had a few more weeks, she might work up the courage to pass that milestone. Shepard knew that he should be grateful in any case for her potentially jeopardizing her health just so that she could be with him, breathing the same air he breathed without a filter in the way. One less layer in between them.

Tonight was not one of those nights as Shepard had been held up sitting through another one of Admiral Brewer's monotonous briefings that were for the purpose of bringing the majority of the staff up to speed regarding the Reapers. It didn't help that Shepard had already been aware of these details as he had experienced all of the reported Reaper characteristics firsthand. Maybe if Cerberus had spent a little more time altering his frontal cortex while he was still stone dead he wouldn't have felt so _bored _throughout the whole lecture. By the time Brewer had finished droning out his report, it was well past curfew and he had no choice but to go straight to his room afterward, annoying him that he missed any potential time to spend with Tali. Sure, he had gained several opportunities spent between them already but he was more incensed at the amount of time that was wasted, regardless.

The Reapers were getting closer with every passing second, so every moment had to count, right?

As he now stood in front of the window, watching the lights flicker below, there was a soft knock on the door. Without looking, he tabbed a button on his omni-tool and heard the locks cycle open right after.

Tali walked in, yawning sleepily through her visor as Shepard turned to meet her. Her pace was moderate and she was wringing her hands. "John," she said softly, "I heard you from the other room, are you okay?"

Shepard bit his lip. His rousing shout must have been louder than he figured. "It was nothing, Tali," he shook his head. "Just a dream. I'm sorry that I woke you."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her voice was barely more than a breathy whisper as she moved in to hug him. Perhaps if she had been in his room when he slept he might not have had his nightmare, he reasoned.

"Not really." _Not now, at least_. "Perhaps later."

"Are you really going to make me worry about you?"

He sighed, "Tali, it was a one-time thing. I'm _fine_."

She got the hint, breaking the hold and moving over to the couch. Shepard followed her and both sat down simultaneously as they stared out over the dark harbor, the first glimpse of red sunlight warming the horizon.

"They kept you late last night," she started.

"Brewer just wanted to hammer in the upcoming danger. I could have told them that in just a few sentences but he insisted on making an epic out of it."

"It's been months now," she reached out for his hand. "Do you really think we're ready for them? The Reapers, I mean."

Shepard drummed his fingers on his leg, "Not if we're alone. After seeing what one Reaper did to a single fleet, all of humanity's forces are not going to stop this by themselves. It just isn't possible."

"But do you think that there's even a chance they can be defeated?" Tali's eyes silently begged for an answer.

He gave a cold stare out the window, sighing, "I...I don't know. I just don't know, Tali. Facing a single Reaper is one thing. Facing a thousand is another."

"Do you think that the Council will take your point of view soon enough? They have to realize what's coming…"

Shepard gave a small, sharp laugh, "They haven't agreed with me, not even when they first made me a Spectre. Every shred of evidence I brought to them was constantly second-guessed by those politicking morons. Even if the Reapers were attacking their homeworlds right now, they still wouldn't see any point in offering humanity any aid."

"There...there might be another way," Tali said, hands starting to tremble.

He noticed this, tightening his grip, "What do you mean?"

Her head drooped slightly, "I...I wanted to t-talk to you last night...but we never got the time to discuss it…"

Shepard was confused, "Discuss what, Tali?"

Her eyes met his, glowing sadly, "I have to _leave_, John."

His hand slackened against her own, leaving her hand to now squirm without anything to hold it back. Shepard turned toward the window, pondering silently. Tali trembled nervously as she tried to speak through her stammer.

"A-Are you g-going to say any-anything, John?"

"I'm just trying to wonder why you would want to abandon me at a time like this," he simply shrugged.

"No!" Tali gasped. "Oh, no, no, no. That's not it at all, John. I would never abandon you, ever. Why would you even _think _of such a thing?"

He arched an eyebrow in apprehension, "But why leave at all?"

She clutched at his hands, "Because I got a message from the flotilla. They...they want to make me an _admiral_, John."

Of all the possible reasons he had floating through his head, a response pre-prepared for each one, that scenario had not even registered with him and he blinked in confusion. "An...an _admiral?_" he said slowly and deliberately. "How come?"

"I don't know," Tali said urgently. "I was picked by one of the admirals on the Conclave to be put to a vote and I ended up with the majority."

"I keep on forgetting that quarian law is a lot different from human law. Any idea on who picked you in the first place?"

She shook her head, "No, but still...this is a valuable opportunity. For me _and _you, John. As an admiral, I...I can influence a portion of all the quarian people. I might...I might be able to give you the quarian _fleet_, John! The largest fleet in the galaxy as an ally of humanity!"

He stood up in shock, Tali quickly following. Shepard put both hands on her shoulders as he looked her in the eyes determinedly, "Are you saying...that you could be able to _help _us in this war? To unite our fleets against a common enemy?"

"John...I would never leave otherwise if I didn't think that this would help."

Shepard closed his eyes as his hands tightened on Tali's shoulders, feeling her small bones protrude from his grip. He breathed out through his nose, trying to find a reason for her to stay that didn't revolve around selfish notions. His mind clutched at empty air.

"Tali…" he began, "The past few months have been some of the best of my life. All this time I've wanted you to be happy, I know _I've _been. But I've also been ignorant, sitting idly by while all of this is going around me. I've done nothing to rectify the current situation in months and the end is creeping up faster than I can fathom."

"John…I…"

"Let me finish, Tali," he quieted her. "I think that you becoming an admiral...could be the best excuse for you to leave there is. If this is what you really want to do, and if you really think that this will be beneficial in the long run, then I will not stop you from leaving."

"B-But John," she whimpered, "I d-don't _want _to leave you."

He replied by wrapping his arms around her frail body, her hands gliding to his upper back as she rested her head against his chest. "I know," he replied quietly. "I don't want you to leave either, but I know it's the right thing to do."

"I'm...I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be. Wherever you go, whatever happens, I'll still always love you. You know that right?"

"Of..._of course_," she nodded dimly. "And I will always love _you_."

Shepard smiled as he stroked the back of her head, "Before you go, I want you to promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Admiral or no, I will not stop feeling the same way about you as I do right now. I meant what I said all those months ago, that I'll always want _you_. After all this is over, when our services are no longer required, I will come back to you, if you promise to come back to me."

"John," she gave a weak laugh, "There is nothing in this galaxy, not even the Reapers, that will prevent me from coming back to you. I will fight for you, not for my people, not for the galaxy. For _you_." Her voice tensed as she took a breath, "And I will do everything I can to get you that fleet. Whatever it takes to get me back to you."

"Whatever it takes," he repeated, bringing his hands to cup the sides of her helmet. "That's my girl."

* * *

**Part III: Inferno**

* * *

_**A/N: Well, two days resting and I already broke my "fast" with regards to writing. All these ideas that I have and the amount of time slipping past me while I was doing nothing was a little too intense for my taste. Therefore, I guess I'm right back to it.**_

_**At least I'll be able to go through a good chunk of this part if I keep up my current pace. The story's not going to get written if I don't write, eh?**_

_**Ah, well. Let's find out where this goes.**_


	25. Chapter 1: As it Stares You in the Face

The door quietly unlocked, allowing Shepard to step back into his room. He rubbed the back of his head, the skin there was starting to itch, and he walked over to the chair near the window and collapsed upon it.

The morning sun streamed through, bathing his face with a familiar warmth. He didn't even squint as the light hit his eyes for there were no organic process to actually be irritated, metal optics instead filtering automatically.

Breakfast this morning, as always, had been excellent, all things considered. Today was the day of the week that Shepard could actually eat food as it took a while for his ruined body to digest any substance he ingested. The result of his drastically lowered body mass meant that he could get more energy out of the same portions of anyone else and could run off that for about a week without having to eat any more.

It only took the first bite for him to determine that hot food was a luxury he hadn't experienced as much as many other people, cybernetic detriments aside. The mess followed the same routine for each week in what they served but Shepard didn't care. Scrambled eggs and an english muffin were delicious enough than the same stale, microwaved crap that was on the Normandy were akin to hardtack and swill in his eyes. Besides, it had technically been more than a year since he had a proper meal so he intended to take advantage of this situation as best as he could. If only he could dine normally, then he wouldn't have to feel so regretful about stuffing his face.

Still in front of the window, he glanced over to the bed, half expecting to see her there. The sheets were immaculate, one side of the bed unindented. A flash of purple and grey came to mind, a beautiful face, and a hint of laughter as two people became entangled with each other on top of the bed.

Shepard scowled and turned back to the skyline. It had been three days since they last talked. He had to get it through his thick head that Tali wasn't coming back. She probably wouldn't make it to the flotilla until tomorrow, which explained why she hadn't returned his message yet.

_Dear Tali,_ he had written,

_I hope your journey goes safely and smoothly. I'd actually rather be traveling with you right now as you have the opportunity to make a difference while I'm still stuck here, in the same old room. Only this time, it's a little more lonely without you. The bed's a lot less comfortable now and the quality of the company I have to draw from is now severely diminished (not to bash on Garrus or James but then again, I'm not really _with_ them at the moment). _

_But becoming an admiral of the quarian fleet? That's an amazing achievement. I need you to know, that I am extremely proud of you and that I have the utmost confidence in you. If you are able, keep me updated on your status. I'm interested to hear on what responsibilities they managed to saddle you with._

_If you are able to have time to talk, tell me and I'll work to set up some time so that we can talk, face-to-face. I'm not going to let the length of the galaxy keep me from caring about you, I hope you know that._

_Stay strong, Tali. I love you._

_-John_

It had been a simple note, personal but at the same time, a tad brief. Even though he had sent the message with hope in his heart, there was some part of him that suggested that Tali might not even get the chance to talk at all, that their duties to their respective people would tear them apart as they fought in their defense. If none of them were killed first, he thought morbidly. But he had to try, right? He just had to try for he had come so far that he couldn't lose her _now, _not now.

He missed her terribly, six months of them being together and it was all abruptly over. As though it was as much a dream as his frequent nightmare of Harbinger shouting his name in rage.

The _Reapers_. They certainly had done a thorough job of tearing his life apart as he knew it. If threatening the galaxy hadn't been enough, they had to go and kill him so he could be brought back to face them a second time, and now they peripherally caused the one person he cared most about in the galaxy to be taken away from him. Damn them all.

If he wasn't physically incapable, he would have sauntered over to the bar in the street down below and consumed several drinks in quick succession until he passed out. He was reluctant to enter sleep willingly anymore. His mind was a haven for darkness and his bed was unoccupied for someone other than him to help ward off his internal demons.

He frowned in his solitude. With Tali gone, he was more of a wreck that he had thought. That woman certainly had done wonders to him as he reflected back. She had helped him find peace through that blistering haze of anger that had consumed him in the beginning, which seemed so long ago. She gave herself to him to make him whole. Who else would do such a thing if not her?

As if his loneliness created a silent call, a soft _ping _of the door buzzer jerked Shepard out of his reflection. His spirits soared for a moment before reality brought them burning down to the ground. It couldn't be Tali. It wouldn't be her at the door, no matter how dearly he wished for it to be so. Her mind had been made up the moment she told Shepard what happened, there was no reason for her to back out now, even though Shepard would not mind in the slightest if she came back for him.

He sighed and activated his omni-tool to let his guests in. Responding to the hail, Garrus and James entered and Shepard stood up to greet them both, relieved at seeing a set of familiar faces, at least.

"Shepard," Garrus began, holding out his hand for the traditional greeting. "Haven't seen you for the past couple days so me and…" he looked behind him towards the tall marine, "And the jarhead just wanted to check up on you."

"Bird's been so uptight about you that you'd think that _he _was the one in a relationship," Vega smirked, breaking into a salute. "How are you doing, commander?"

Shepard smiled and shook his head, "James, for the last time, you don't have to salute me here. You're not serving on board a ship right now. This is my room and I say let all professional courtesies be disregarded. We're technically not on duty, you know."

The man's arm immediately dropped to his side but rose for a handshake, which Shepard accepted. "Sorry sir," Vega dipped his head. "Won't happen again."

Shepard gritted his teeth for all of the unnecessary apologies he'd had to endure in his life. He pushed his annoyance down as he was grateful for the company at least. He walked over to the small kitchen area, eyeing Garrus as he traveled, "Well, I'm not going to lie there, pal. It's been an awful quiet couple of days."

The turian leaned over the counter, "Yeah, I heard about Tali. But getting to be an admiral at such a young age? That's something the Hierarchy wouldn't stand for in all its history."

"Oho!" Vega laughed, "Developing a little professional jealousy there, buddy?"

"Just pointing out our differing societies, is all," Garrus shrugged. "I'm just not so sure that military positions being given out by popular vote is the best process to begin with. Take the turian's and humanity's militaries. Both of them remain separate from the civilian body, each their own little nation with the chain of command firmly established. One person moves up a rung from one position to the next until they reach the top. There's no elevator to help you skip a level, you have to climb up it like everyone else."

Shepard smiled, "That still doesn't change the fact that when we see her next, she will technically outrank us all."

Garrus groaned and put his head in his hands, "I'll never hear the end of that for as long as I live. As long as the Normandy is still flying around when all hell breaks loose, I'll have no trouble with you leading the charge. No offense, Shepard, but I'm not entirely confident with Tali giving the orders."

"Don't worry, Garrus," Shepard laughed, "She has no jurisdiction over you in the first place and when the both of you will be on _my _ship, you hold equal rank so you can quit complaining."

Garrus whirled to James as he spoke softly, "You heard that, right? I want you to remember that just in case-"

"I'm staying out of this, man," Vega held up his hands as he slowly backed off. Shepard chuckled in the meantime.

"My god, you damn turian. You're aggravating, you know that?"

"I learned from the best," he replied in an equally snide tone. "But come on, Shepard, you have to allow me a little leeway when I've saved _your _ass the past couple of-"

"Hold up," Vega interrupted, cocking his head. "Do you hear that?" He frantically turned in all directions as if a fly was orbiting his head, trying to get a bead on it.

Shepard and Garrus immediately stopped talking and quickly found out what had agitated the marine so. There _was _a low roar that echoed in the air, distant at first but built up in volume, still a little muted. All three of them realized that the noise was coming from outside so they moved over to the windows and glanced downward.

The source of the sound became visible to them as they looked upon the streets. People were desperately running down the avenues, past the rows of cars, shrieking. One continuous mob of people flowed through the concrete canyons as they seemed to be running from something. Shouts and yells reverberated off the solid walls and into the room where the three men were standing, confused as they tried to discern the situation.

Garrus shrugged, "What, is there a parade or something going on down there?"

Vega checked his calendar on his omni-tool, letting loose an extremely confused look, "I wasn't aware that Yom Kippur was a holiday that called for parades. Or any Jewish holiday, for that matter."

"Either my translator crapped out or you just had a stroke because I didn't understand any of your sentences at all," Garrus shook his head. "Am I really supposed to know what the hell a 'Yom Kippur' is?"

"It doesn't matter," Shepard interrupted, "Because that's not what is important at the moment. James, check the news feed, we'd better find out if there is an event or-"

"Oh my fucking god," Vega gasped, head tilted upward as something caught his eye. Shepard and Garrus craned their necks and summarily gasped as the source of the panic and confusion came to light.

Through the cloud cover, a set of blue-black appendages, like fingertips, stretched half a kilometer long. The appendages soon ended as the large form burst through, mist parting on all sides. The enormous monstrosity did not slow as it descended to the ground, sending up a plume of dust as it impacted. The force of the landing shook the area, causing the windows to rattle in their panes. A building on the far side of the harbor could not take the stress and collapsed upon itself, the structure tilting to the side as the metal and concrete disintegrated underneath it.

The Reaper gave an earth-shattering roar as it straightened on its legs, turning towards downtown as more of its brethren hurtled from the sky. Shepard could only stare at the sight, stunned, "It...it can't be…"

It was. The Reapers had made it to Earth.

Red light was starting to glow from the undercarriage of the machine. Shepard saw the telltale sign just as it started and pulled Garrus and Vega away from the window. The entire room suddenly lit up with the bright red light as everything seemed to explode around them. Heat rolled over in a fierce wave and tiny fires bloomed on the carpet.

Coughing, all three of them sat up and brushed off the broken glass and dust on their bodies. Vega was wide eyed and muttered numbly, "We just got shot at by a goddamn _Reaper_, man."

Garrus groaned, "Trust me, lieutenant, it's something that will become a habit very soon."

Shepard was already up and moving, turning over his mattress to produce three service pistols. He hooked one to his belt before tossing the other two to his squadmates. Garrus fumbled the gun for a bit before standing up, looking shocked.

"Shepard...all my armor and weapons are on the Normandy."

"Mine too," Vega added.

"Where do you think we're _going_, then?" Shepard lightly snarled. Without waiting for an answer, he headed towards the broken window (the door to the hallway had been fused shut from the initial blast) and hopped down onto the overhang. Vega and Garrus shared a quick glance before following their commander, trying not to cut themselves on the broken panes as they jumped down.

The roar of the wind was especially noticeable from this high up. It tugged at their bodies, not letting up the assault. Vega groaned as he suddenly realized how far above the ground they were. Biting back a curse from his own mouth, Shepard sidled along the building until he found a ladder and clambered up it, reaching the roof of the barracks.

While waiting for Vega and Garrus to join him up top, he glanced around at the startling scenery. Ships of all shapes and sizes were hurtling across the bay. Several skyscrapers were pockmarked by enormous blast holes. And all the while, the deep foreboding render of a Reaper roar echoed all throughout the city.

A whistling noise came up a few seconds later and the three of them ducked as an oculus sped on by, chasing an Alliance Trident. They were unable to see any more as the pair streaked out of sight behind the nearest building but a distant explosion sounded moments later.

Shepard grimaced as they ran across the building which had a large amount of debris strewn on top of it. Several times, they had to climb over collapsed wreckage but in their current shape, this wasn't so much of a problem.

"Any idea where the Normandy is, commander?" Vega asked as his pistol twitched nervously in his grip, scanning the sky simultaneously.

"If Joker had any sense he's left the port by now," he answered grimly. "Best thing we can do is make it to the bay and wait for extraction."

Running through the smog atop the building, they were unceremoniously rocked in place as a Reaper landed a mile away from them in the harbor, sending water flying as the machine's massive legs displaced it. However, its attention was not focused on the three miniscule specks scurrying along the building, but at the cruiser that was busy taking potshots at it from afar.

Torpedoes detonated off the thing's shields, meters away from its body, not a scratch to be caused. The cruiser, to the credit of its crew, did not so much as falter, leveling blast after blast at the Reaper, hoping for blind luck to save them. The machine did not appear to be impressed, or particularly rushed, as it charged up its laser and fired it, the beam gracefully touching the bow of the ship.

The cruiser exploded with a tremendous _bang_, all sound dissipating around Shepard and his crew as the wave of pressure _pushed _everything aside. Wind and noise rushed back into everyone's senses as the section of building they were standing on crumbled away, sending them tumbling several stories down.

Shepard hit a piece of rebar on the way down, causing him to grunt as his skin flared. Other than what should have broken a few ribs, the blow had done nothing but bruise his outer layer. After sliding down uncomfortably down the makeshift ramp, the trio picked up their weapons from the ground and soldiered on, still in shock over the whole affair at the moment.

"Christ," Vega mumbled, shaking all over, "How the fuck did they get here so fast? There wasn't any warning or _nothing-_"

"Get down!" Shepard shouted as he spotted movement in his eyes, yanking the marine behind a fallen pillar as smaller red streaks passed overhead. Garrus swore and threw himself behind a large piece of concrete, checking his pistol to see if it still had a thermal clip in it. Peeking up from their cover, they heard an unearthly scream as several forms rushed to their location.

Their assailants were large and bulbous. Blue light streamed from their mouths and eyes and several tiny pinpricks over their bodies. Their backs were engorged, swollen, and covered in chitin, their heads hunched down. The right arms of these creatures looked like a fusion of flesh and tech, as it ended in the barrel of a large arm cannon. What struck Shepard was that the creatures appeared to have four tiny eyes, much like the eyes one would find on a-.

"Shepard," Garrus breathed, seeing the same thing, "They're _batarians_."

"I know," Shepard sighed. "They must have been hit weeks ago and didn't even call for help."

"And now they're just more troops for the Reapers," Garrus growled and rose out of cover and began firing away without input. Globules of liquid burst from the pores on one of the creature's back and it fell, letting loose a horrid scream.

Shepard and Vega were shooting earnestly at that point and all of the modified batarians dropped in their own goo, red mixed with black in a disgusting combination, creating a putrid smell on the concrete.

The Reaper towering over them still had yet to notice the miniature combatants, to which the group took advantage of as they climbed down the remnants of a collapsed building. Shepard looked carefully where he stepped, watching for a loose bit of rubble that could send him tumbling into the raging waters below or a sharp edge that could potentially impale his foot.

They were reaching the end of the artificial peninsula where a downed Mantis gunship lay on the far side. Vega was hanging back, trying to deter several husks from sneaking up on them but trying not to unload all of his ammo so callously. They had limited clips so they needed to be conserved.

A quick hop over a ledge followed by a swift kick knocked a husk's head off its body. Black ichor left a dark trail as the screaming skull sailed into the water, the body collapsing on the ground as it twitched. Shepard was now clear to access the cockpit of the gunship after Garrus put a couple holes in the cannibal trying to salvage spare parts from the wreckage.

Shepard stood back a pace before plunging his arm through the reinforced cockpit. Glass cut deep into his arm and he winced but his hand kept searching until it found the manual release. He pulled his arm out just in time to see the canopy open and grant him access.

His skin had several deep, red cuts on it, already starting to ooze blood. In one nasty case, after fishing out a shard of unshatterable glass, he noticed the shiny metal of his body glint underneath the ragged muscle.

Ignoring the pain, he climbed up and hit the homing beacon, transferring his data protocol in the message sent, relaying exactly who was requesting assistance to anyone picking the beacon up. Hopefully, Joker would be nearby and come calling within the next few minutes because it looked like they were going to get swarmed at any second.

"Shepard!" Garrus called. He looked over to see the turian holding up an Avenger assault rifle that must have been thrown from the crash. Giving a nod to him, Garrus tossed the rifle in his direction as Shepard lobbed his pistol. Both caught the other's weapons at the exact same time. Shepard checked the chamber of the rifle. A full set of clips were already in place.

Now holding both pistols, Garrus strafed to the right to see a pair of batarians walk at him from behind the Mantis. Depressing both triggers in a blur, he roared as the incendiary bursts hit and melted the warped flesh from the creatures. Molten skin dripped to the ground as it sloughed off the exterior of the unfortunate host, revealing glimpses of a skeleton supported with blue and black wiring.

Joining the turian, Shepard brought the rifle to his face and used short, controlled bursts to put down the next few enemies that had clambered over the ledge, coming for them. Bloody chunks filled the air as precise aiming blew bits of their heads off but more still came up ahead.

An explosion took five batarians off their feet as three vanished entirely in a red mist. Behind the both of them, Vega whooped as he primed another grenade, hurling it into the center of the mob and watched limbs fly everywhere from the violent force.

"Getting low, Shepard," Garrus yelled as he fired four shots into a husk's chest, causing it to collapse on the ground.

"Same here," he replied as he slowly brought the sights over each enemy, squeezing the trigger once to make every shot count, before setting it down to the ground entirely. "Hang on, I'll be right back."

Garrus did a double-take, "Wait, what? What do you me-"

There was no time to listen to the turian as he had already bolted out of cover by that point, straight at a group of deformed batarians who were taking advantage of the situation to aim and fire at the approaching human. His shields took a dive but did not drop and he roared as he engaged his omni-blade once he got to within a meter of the first enemy. Shepard took a flying leap and swung his arm down, cleaving the cannibal in two and sending the liquefied organs sloshing to the ground.

Its cohorts were apparently surprised by the brazen move and Shepard seized his chance to swipe his arm across the bellies of all three in close proximity. They howled as their fluids gushed out of their bodies but Shepard paid them no mind, grabbing a charging husk and throwing it to the ground before he planted a boot over its face, its soft skull giving completely to the immense force placed on it.

_Do you see me now? Do you see what I've become?_

Garrus had appropriated Shepard's rifle and was planting single shots in the backs of husks that were trying to surprise his commander. Not that they would have that chance anyway, Shepard was stone-faced as he waded into a sea of blood and bone. His arm shot out and yanked back, taking the arm out of a batarian's socket. His leg kicked out, shattering another's leg and causing the bone of its femur to protrude from the sickly skin.

Shepard was also turning in all directions with his blade, every swing biting into dead flesh. Bodies fell at his feet as he slowly became soaked with whatever passed for blood in these...vessels.

A cannibal's arm rose and a fiery burst of red shot out of it, catching his side as his shields finally dropped. His shirt immediately started to smolder but he didn't even give a grunt of pain. Instead, he leaped to the left as the mutant started to make a charge, slicing his blade upward as the attack missed. The cannibal fell to the ground in two pieces, bluish glow fading from its body.

The sharp snaps of close fire were enough to make him analyze the situation, halting his frenzy. Dozens of the modified creatures were now climbing down the walls to reach him, some swimming across the bay to the jutting point they happened to be perched on. Shepard, furious, backed away until he was beside Garrus and James as they both readied what little ammo they had in their arsenal.

"We're down to a clip each now, Shepard," Garrus informed. "Think that's enough to hold out?"

Shepard glanced upward for a second before a small smile spread across his face. This did not exactly bring assurance to Garrus as his eyes widened for fear that his commander had gone insane.

Shepard motioned a hand towards the sky, "I should think so there, pal."

A brilliant flare of orange and yellow appeared feet away from them seconds after the words had escaped his lips, extinguishing the presence of any Reaper forces in the area. The blast, while danger close, had been so precisely placed that there was no question who could pull off such a daring move like that. As the smoke rose from the missile blast, there was a thunder of approaching engines and a burst of wind cleared the area, revealing the sleek outline of the ship behind the thick soot that had saved their lives many times over.

The Normandy gleamed like a jewel as it hovered mere meters over the bay, positioning itself properly for extraction. Shepard didn't need any telling twice, already starting to sprint to the entrance of the craft as it beckoned, opening the bay doors to allow them sanctuary. All three of them jumped the gap, EDI welcoming them aboard the second they touched down. Apparently Joker had been too lazy to deactivate the AI after all this time.

Now that their commander was back, the ship banked to the left as it began its ascent. The bay doors started to close as Shepard looked one last time on the ruined city. There were at least four Reapers he could see parting the buildings in the background, their red beams, ever accurate, rose high and mighty as they speared ship after ship, dotting the streets with more debris.

Shepard was white-faced, horrified at the extent of the damage, at the swiftness at how the Reapers had cut through humanity's defenses like butter. There were no heroic charges to be had, no one mounting a vengeful stand against the enemy. Just mindless slaughter, just chaos. Screams and cries echoed from down below, pleading for salvation, for mercy.

And the Reapers gave none.

**Shepard.**

He groaned as the voice now pierced his mind, sinking to a knee. An alarmed Garrus moved over to help him back up but he threw out a hand in refusal as he clutched his head with the other limb.

**Now you see what we are capable of. Your efforts have been in vain. You could not stop the arrival.**

_Get...get out my head_, he thought fiercely.

**It is pointless to persist in uprising as so many have done before you. Lay down your life and your destiny will be fulfilled.**

_N-Never...you...fucking machine…_

**You deny us, but yet you are not dissimilar from us. You **_**will **_**belong to us, Shepard. You...and everyone you hold dear.**

_NO!_

Shepard shut his eyes and bellowed in his mind, overpowering the invading force by drowning it out. The presence left, for now, and Shepard was left breathing heavily on the floor of the shuttle bay, nursing an enormous pain in his head. Garrus was insistently tugging at his arm and he let the turian help stand him back up. Garrus did not say a word but shared a look with him that told Shepard that he knew that something was up. Whether the turian truly understood the situation or not was ambiguous to Shepard, but he didn't want to know if it created a rift between them if the implications came to light. There was too much at stake.

As the last inch of the bay door closed, he straightened and pushed away from Garrus, blood thundering in his ears as he made for the lift on the far side of the bay. He needed to grab something to make this headache stop.

After that, he would need to make a call.

* * *

"Things are not looking good, commander," Admiral Hackett's voice broke through the static as his image flickered in and out. "We've lost over sixty percent of operations-capable forces already today and the numbers are still climbing."

Shepard sighed in the cramped space of the comm room, head still faintly throbbing, "Still no word from the Council on sending reinforcements?"

Hackett's voice was grave, "I just got off the horn with Udina moments ago. Seems the Reapers are encroaching on everyone's borders so no one is going to budge at the moment to come to our aid."

Shepard hung his head, "I guess we can't exactly blame them, even though I'd really like to say 'I told you so' to their faces. Anyway, did you get a hold of Anderson yet?"

The elder man nodded, "Yes, he made it out of Vancouver just before the attack. Last I heard, he was gathering all remaining troops to form a resistance, in order to halt the invasion of Earth."

"I should be there with him."

"We'd _all _like to be there, commander," Hackett assured. "But right now, we need to focus on formulating a strategy so that we can kick these bastards off our turf."

"Do you have any leads on what to do from here?" Shepard was grasping at straws for the tiniest inkling of a way to fight back, a way to keep from sitting idly as he had been for the past six months.

"Yes," the admiral assured as he fiddled with a datapad for a minute before a data packet was transferred to Shepard's omni-tool, "I need you to head to the Prothean archives on Mars. Dr. T'Soni claimed to have made a breakthrough in her research before the Reapers hit."

Shepard blinked, "Liara? What kind of work exactly was she doing?"

"I had her studying the records for any information regarding the last Reaper invasion, specifically if there were any strategies or useful items that could give us an edge over our foe."

"And she found something." It was not a question.

"We don't know what it is, not for certain, but we need to make sure that the information that she managed to recover gets transferred into safe hands. We have to take every opportunity presented to us, Shepard. Using conventional force is suicide at the moment, we don't have the men or the equipment to take on all the Reapers at once. If the past had a method of dealing with these monsters, then we need to utilize it to our advantage right away, before the entire galaxy is extinguished of life as we know it."

Shepard seriously doubted whether the entire combined forces of the galaxy were enough to take on all of the Reapers at once, but he kept that to himself. Each individual Reaper could wipe out ten dreadnoughts in the span of three minutes. His pessimism was striving to burst out but he just couldn't give in to despair when doing so would get him absolutely nowhere. Fighting was the only option at this point as surrender meant death. He was past such foolish thoughts at this point, anyway. His confidence rose above his base instincts, for the moment.

He nodded sagely, "Then I'll be sure to seize _this _opportunity right now, admiral. We might not have the proper resources yet, but don't count any of us out of the fight. I'll let you know what we find down there."

"I pray you're right, commander. Keep me posted, Hackett out."

The very instant the holographic crystals cooled and the image of the grey-haired man winked out, Shepard was already moving through the briefing room, towards the elevator that would take him to the armory.

"Joker, set a course for the Mars archives and tell James and Garrus to suit up at once."

The pilot dutifully acknowledged and the current ETA was posted on the electronic strip above the door of the elevator.

Five minutes until arrival at FTL speed. The war had officially begun.


	26. Chapter 2: Look to the Past

Red dust billowed in front of them as Shepard, James, and Garrus stepped off the Kodiak, now fully armored and equipped. The ground underfoot was fine and gritty, leaving their bootprints firmly imprinted upon it. The stagnant air that their helmets refiltered prevented asphyxiation by breathing in the unhealthy atmosphere of Mars itself. All scans in the past had proven to be accurate, there was no way that this planet could support life in its current state.

The archives lay directly ahead, a series of circular buildings positioned on tall columns a quarter of a mile above a deep canyon. Red dirt flecked the sides, staining it a rusty color. The metal surface had previously been white at one point. The cosmetic changes were unavoidable, Mars was not a planet well-suited for color diversity. It was either red, red, or red with this place.

Miles beyond, an enormous line of clouds towered high above the horizon. The dust storm rolled and undulated, lightning occasionally sparking out from the mess as the flying particulates rubbed against one another to create static. Dust storms like this were commonplace on Mars, some even larger than this one. They weren't particularly harmful, if you were safely inside a structure, that is. The storms tended to interfere with radio communications and the pelting debris kicked up from the fierce wind could tear a man to shreds, regardless of the fact if they were wearing armor or not.

Acknowledging the danger, the Kodiak's pilot, a former fighter jockey named Cortez, pulled back the yoke and the craft surged upward to where the Normandy was patiently hovering overhead in the low atmosphere. No sense in risking their only shuttle if there was the slightest chance that it could become grounded.

They had been deposited by the installation's solar farm so they battled the raging winds as they made their way over to the path that would lead them to the entrance. After they trudged along for a couple minutes, they noticed a low profile positioned in the center of the path. It looked like a body.

Shepard ran to the form and rolled the man over. It was an Alliance marine, a sergeant. There was a small hole on the left side of his helmet but if he turned the head over, that tiny hole had created a massive exit wound, shattering his skull and tearing the plastic off the side of his helmet, revealing a mushy red mass underneath. Shepard gently set the body down, appropriating the man's rifle as he looked to James and Garrus for input.

"It looks like he was executed," Garrus pointed at the entry wound. "Notice the burn marks on the left side? A gun was pressed to his head when he was shot."

"Agreed," Shepard grimaced, taking his dog tag. "But who would go out of their way to take out an Alliance archive guard? This corpse is too clean, too precise for the Reapers."

Suddenly, a deep _boom _filtered through their helmets, causing them to turn their heads down the path in alarm. The sound echoed through the canyon, creating no illusions that the noise had been a figment of anyone's imagination.

"Pistol report," James noted. "Close by, too."

The young marine had been aggrieved when he had learned that the Normandy wasn't staying and fighting on Earth, following Anderson's example. He had been so incensed that he had almost jumped out the airlock in an effort to help with the resistance on Earth before Shepard verbally restrained him. Shepard was also infuriated at the invasion of his home but he let that drive his efforts in the present. James was upset, naturally, but the commander needed for him to hone that same fire that burned in the marine in order to focus his resolve. Shepard, in truth, liked the man too much to see him bail out now and he wanted to use that untapped potential against the Reapers for a good while longer. He needed every able-bodied man he could get his hands on at this point.

So far, his instincts had been on track. James was a good enough soldier to adapt to Shepard's rather loose command style instantly. He was tight in formation, checked his corners impeccably, and as proved right now, was quite observant. Thank you, Admiral Anderson.

Shepard slowly unhooked his sniper rifle from his back slot as they moved along the canyon path. It looked like it opened up just a few meters ahead and there was a barricade they could crouch behind once they got there. The three of them did just that and slowly peeked around it as they looked on the scene below.

In front of the entrance to the archives, three trucks were parked. They did not carry any Alliance insignia which, considering the luck they've had in the past, was to be expected, but a few of their inhabitants were conveniently situated outside and alert. There were five soldiers total, but only one was wearing the armor of an Alliance marine. He was down on his knees, head bent, arms over his head. The traditional position of submission.

The other four were all similarly garbed in a uniform that Shepard would have liked to have never seen again: the white and black accented armor of Cerberus. One of the standing figures casually strolled over to the man, brought his pistol up, and put a bullet through the back of the man's head. Blood burst and the soldier collapsed on the ground, death mercifully taking him instantly before the atmosphere could suffocate him.

James quietly swore behind him as the soldiers down below laughed at the offhand slaughter. Shepard heard their jubilation moments before his rifle was over the barricade and pointed at the nearest hoodlum. Hopefully they enjoyed that last laugh. Once the shooter's head was firmly in the crosshairs, he pulled the trigger and the man toppled over, now missing his head.

The remaining troopers yelled out in shock before the blood had finished falling to the ground but stuttered in place. That gave Shepard just enough time for his quick reflexes to instantly put another one in his sights. Another squeeze, another headless corpse.

James and Garrus were now firing behind the barricade, spraying the last two troopers with deadly fire. One man was puckered from several holes in his body and another wheezed as a shot to the neck gushed blood all over the dusty ground, soaking it and staining it red.

Shepard lowered his eyes as he ejected his spent clip, jamming a new one in place before he holstered the rifle, grabbing his submachine gun to replace it. He walked over to the marine on the ground and retrieved his dog tag as well. No sense in simply leaving him here completely.

They knocked the dirt from their boots on the ramp and hastily brushed off the reddish silt that had accumulated from spending only fifteen minutes outside. James hit the door access and with a groan, the room was sealed from the outside world. A hiss of air signified that the room had begun to pressurize and a tiny _beep _came later. Atmospheric conditions normal. All three of them summarily removed and stowed their helmets, no longer breathing in the musty, stale air of their coverings but the dusty, metallic air of the installation.

James growled as he cracked his neck, "Son of a _bitch_, how did Cerberus get access to this facility? Why the fuck are they even here in the first place?"

"Probably the same reason why we're here as well," Garrus drawled. "It's not like this location is classified to individual militaries anyway. They're here for the _information_."

Shepard shook his head, "If the Illusive Man wants to get himself involved in my business, I'll be happy to take the fight to him once again. But to attack while the Reapers are invading, it seems like very poor timing on his part."

"Or very _good _timing," Garrus mused. "He might have known of the upcoming invasion on Earth beforehand and used it as a distraction so that he could take this place easily."

"You think so?"

"We can't discount the possibility of him being indoctrinated. There were only three trucks out there, not enough men to take this facility."

"There might have been someone on the inside, Cerberus is well known for their use of sleeper agents after all."

The floor now rocked as it started to rise, gears on all corners of the platform strained and sparked as the overhead door opened to a staging area. A few maintenance vehicles and crates were positioned around the place. Tools lay scattered all over the floor and clanged when Garrus trod on a hammer.

"Still," Garrus rubbed his foot, "Cerberus attacking when there's a war on? That doesn't really equate to anything short of madness."

"The Illusive Man has never been a very rational individual." Shepard held up his hand so that Garrus could see and flexed it a few times, "Case in point."

A rattling noise came from overhead and all three of them trained their weapons above, looking to see if there were any foes hiding within the room. The noise was getting louder and Shepard was able to pinpoint, based on the increase in tone frequency, that it was coming from the large, grey air vent that curved over the second story of the room. There seemed to be many people inhabiting the vent at the moment because a stream of several loud noises (of what had to be knees scraping on the bottom of the thin metal) followed by cursing in multiple voices were now being broadcast clearly to the three men. They kept their weapons situated at the vent covering at the end because that was the only way anyone would get out from there.

A spark and a shot rang out, causing the three of them to instinctively duck. Shepard, slowly rising back up, saw that there was a hole in the bottom of the vent, the path of a bullet. So, it seemed like somebody was being chased in there and that their pursuers clearly weren't too happy with them, hence the weapons discharge.

"Don't shoot the first one to come out," Shepard said clearly. He wanted to err on the side of caution, just in case.

"Roger that, commander," James said.

"Got it, Shepard." Garrus acknowledged.

Seconds later, the grate was kicked out and clanged as it hit the floor. A slim, white-suited form followed the falling covering but Shepard instantly knew that they weren't an enemy. As soon as the first sliver of a white helmet covering a profusely swearing individual appeared from the duct itself, all bets were off. Continuous fire erupted from all three of their rifles, causing the duct to become pockmarked with the impact of bullets. Screams rang out briefly before ending in a gurgle. There was no more obnoxious banging around, all was quiet now. Blood dripped from the holes, puddling at the floor below as the former prey stood and dusted herself off briefly before turning to the group and giving a warm smile.

"Shepard," Liara glowed. "You certainly do have a knack for getting me out of tight spaces every once in a while."

The asari moved in for a friendly hug to which Shepard obliged, relieved to see a familiar face, "It's a habit that comes naturally to me, I guess."

She broke off for a second before smiling at Garrus and giving a friendly wave. To James she turned and held out her hand in greeting, "Doctor Liara T'Soni. I take it you must be Lieutenant Vega. Shepard's told me a lot about you."

"Is that so?" the marine raised an eyebrow slyly.

She laughed, "Don't worry, all of it was positive. He did seem to think that you had a bit of a reckless streak but was an exceptional soldier overall."

"Come on, Liara," Shepard laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you're going to blurt out everything I say to you in our conversations alone I'm just going to have to stop talking to you altogether."

Liara smirked, "Sorry, Shepard."

Vega held a hand to his chin as he pondered in thought, "I knew I recognized you from somewhere, doctor. I met a protege of yours once back when I was stationed on Horizon. I don't know if you remember Treeya?"

"I do," Liara nodded. "She was a good friend."

"'Was?'" Vega asked, concerned.

"Oh, that's not what I meant," Liara clarified, noting Vega's worried look. "Only that I haven't spoken to her in some time. Last I heard she was back on Illium, working with asari intelligence."

Vega breathed out, "That's good to hear. I liked her a lot."

Shepard gestured up to the still bleeding bodies crumpled in the duct above, "Seemed like you've pissed off some people in your spare time, Liara. Why were they trying to get you?"

She shrugged, "The same reason why they were trying to get _everyone _here, I suppose. Cerberus must have found out the research we were doing here and are here to steal it."

"What kind of research are we talking about here, exactly?"

Liara crossed her arms as she got a far-away look in her eyes, looking out the window at the red rocks beyond, "We only decoded this a few days ago, but it seemed that Admiral Hackett's hunches were right. The Protheans _did _have a solution to stop the Reapers all those years ago."

"What?"

"Yes, we found a blueprint embedded in the archives for some kind of superweapon, one that emits large amounts of energy designed for stopping the Reapers."

"Designed?" Shepard was skeptical. "You mean that the Protheans had the ability to stop the Reapers before but they never used it? How come?"

"I have my suspicions, but the best guess that I can hazard is that they never completed it before it was too late. When we reported our findings, someone must have noticed the importance of the information and contacted Cerberus. They were here before we even knew what was going on."

Shepard surreptitiously glanced around, just in case, "How many did you see? Did Cerberus managed to capture everyone here?"

"I only saw a few squads and...and they weren't taking prisoners."

Shepard blinked as the memory of him of ripping out a man's throat as he lay latched on a medical slab suddenly didn't seem quite so monstrous anymore. Nor did the thought of him planting a fist through a biotic woman's head as she lay stunned on the ground. "I'm…I'm so sorry, Liara."

"I am too," she tilted her head sadly. "I had made many friends here. The notion that Cerberus would even…" Liara shook her head, "With you here though, we can make a push to the archive and see if we can retrieve that data before they can."

"How?" James piped up, gesturing to the closed blast doors next to them. "The security system's locked us out of the tramway and we don't have the controls to bring the tram over to our station in the first place."

"I'll take care of the tram," Garrus volunteered as he moved over to the ladder on the far side of the bay. "One of the troopers probably has the control protocol on their omni-tool. Liara, if you wouldn't mind doing one of those swirly purple things to bring one of those bastards down from the duct, that would be great."

Liara playfully rolled her eyes, "Not a problem, Garrus." She shot azure energy from her fingertips as one of the soldiers perched precariously on the edge of the duct was caught in the vortex and toppled down to the ground at Garrus' feet. The turian winced as the snapping of bone sounded as the cadaver hit the deck, but knelt to look for the tram controls after a few seconds.

"Security station's just over here," James gestured as all three of them headed over to the small room. Inside, they found the body of the chief on duty, slumped at his desk with a hole in the back of his head. Another execution.

Shepard examined the body closely before turning to Liara, "Can we get a visual record on what happened here?"

She grabbed a spare chair and started typing at the console, "I believe so. One moment."

A screen to her left popped up as she selected the video file timestamped an hour ago, the second most recent file. Double clicking on it, the video player started up and after a sea of static, an image appeared in front of the trio.

Projected before them, the chief was typing dutifully away on his console, oblivious to the danger about to occur. Shepard squinted as he scanned the image for clues, anything of note that would be of use later. He got his answer within moments. A woman dressed in a scientist's uniform soon entered the frame and began conversing with the chief, who seemed to relax in her presence as if he knew her. As he turned back to the console, most likely in response from the query she produced, they saw her pluck a pistol from her back and shoot the chief in the head without warning, his body sagging over.

Soon after, the woman leaned over the body to quickly open the bay doors, allowing the Cerberus troops through. A second later, she spotted the camera in the corner that had captured all the action and fired a bullet into it, distorting the picture permanently.

Shepard straightened up from the warped image, frowning, "Recognize her, Liara?"

"Yes," Liara mumbled. "Her name is Dr. Eva Core. She only arrived about a week ago, though."

"Guess they didn't waste any time in putting the agent to work," James sighed as the image was reversed back to the slim woman holding the gun.

"I never paid her much mind. I was too focused on my work to let anything distract me."

"It's not your fault," Shepard assured. "You couldn't have known."

"Could I? That woman operated under my nose for a week and I didn't have the slightest clue about it. It's as if I've suddenly become blind to everything around me, focusing on everything except the details that I thought were important."

"Got another recording here," James motioned as he moved the cursor over the final file. There was no time for Liara to fall into despair now, it turned out. He double clicked and the next series of images popped up.

The numbers in the corner of the video indicated that what was on the screen took place forty five minutes ago. Dr. Core was walking along a hallway but she was not alone this time. A black figure was escorting her as they stopped in the middle as they seemed to be arguing, based on their raised voices.

This other person was different. He was tall and big, encompassed within a set of bulky, black armor. The helmet emitted a aquamarine light from the optics and his voice was raspy, as if he had possessed a perpetual cough his whole life. He was armored to the teeth, guns of all shapes and sizes were racked on his back, a knife was positioned on an arm sheath, and the actual armor itself looked like it was hydraulically powered, allowing for superhuman strength.

"_-have reported in by now_," the figure was saying. _"You delayed this operation long enough that the Illusive Man has grown restless. He wants to see the results of this operation now."_

"_And he will have his results,"_ Core assured. _"I think you're just exerting your typical ego over me. You are just looking for a reason to personally step in so you can make me look bad. I know how it's done, so-"_

The figure stepped forward into her personal space, causing Core to shrink back,_ "Do not try my patience, doctor. You will find that my distrust of others has been well placed as I have had to put my faith in people other than me before. Each time, I have been disappointed." _The man towered over her by at least half a foot, but she managed not to back down any more than she already had._ "Word of advice, doctor, not many people who have slighted me in the past have had good career longevity. It's a pattern that I would hate to see repeated once more, especially to someone like you."_

Core seethed, _"If you think that you can threaten me for one moment, think again. I hold the Illusive Man's complete trust and-"_

"_I hold his trust as well. Did you not consider the fact that I also speak with his authority? You have a long career ahead of you doctor." _The helmet tilted down, a gesture that implied a knowing secret,_ "Don't end up like Leng and fuck it all up."_

The doctor opened her mouth to respond before the armored figure's omni-tool buzzed. He glanced down at it for a second before raising it up and answering with an annoyed, _"What?"_

"_Sir,"_ a trooper's voice broke through, _"We've detected an incoming shuttle. Registered to the Alliance ship Normandy."_

The man laughed, a wheeze coming through the helmet as he closed the comm,_ "I'll be damned. He did show after all." _He turned back to the woman,_ "I'll leave this in your hands, doctor. I trust you can make a simple pick-up without my help."_

"_Oh, running away from a fight?"_ Core said slyly. _ "Too afraid to face Shepard on your own?"_

"_I am afraid of no one,"_ the man said dangerously, _"Least of all, Shepard. It just isn't the proper time." _He jabbed at her chest for emphasis, _ "He and I will meet eventually but this place will soon be swarmed by Reapers if we delay any further. Unless you would like to be held up until they arrive, in which case things could get rather...interesting. So, I hope that little incentive will encourage you to pick up the pace. That being said, I'll see you back on the ship."_

The video ended just as the figure stalked off the frame, away from a white-faced Core. Shepard frowned as he watched the screen disappear. Liara eyed him accordingly.

"I didn't recognize that one, the man talking to Core."

"Neither did I," Shepard shrugged, "Although he seemed to be interested in me personally. But I guess that's to be expected. Cerberus already lost two top agents from to my involvement, it makes sense that the third one is a little more cautious this time around."

"What?" Liara cocked her head, "You think that this man is a replacement?"

"Has to be. He was the one giving the orders and he said he spoke with the Illusive Man's voice. Evidently he doesn't want to make the same mistakes his predecessors made based on his cautious tone." Shepard scratched his cheek, "I guess I might want to watch out for this one, it looks like."

James was fiddling with another console in the meantime, finding the appropriate switch and flipping it. "Tram access enabled," he announced. "Now, if Garrus can-"

"Hey, Shepard!" Garrus coincidentally yelled from the balcony, looking agitated. "You better get up here right away!"

All three of them in the security station looked at one another before leaving, Liara deactivating and erasing their browsing history before running out the door to catch up. They climbed up the steps to where Garrus was, kneeling by the dead Cerberus trooper. Shepard stopped in place and stood, expecting the turian to speak but he simply extended a finger, pointing at the dead man's face.

Shepard walked over and stopped, blinking in surprise. Liara and James now crowded around, the latter letting out a curse in Spanish when he saw what Garrus had indicated.

The man's face was covered in glowing blue circuitry. Lines ran across his flesh, raising the skin underneath. His eyes were glowing bright blue, the flesh around it already turning a dead grey.

Garrus' tone was grave, "Looks like a husk, doesn't he?"

"Yeah," Shepard sighed. "He does."

Liara covered her mouth, "Goddess, why would the Illusive Man do this?"

Shepard gave the body a light kick, "Just another way for him to exert control over his forces, I guess. Perhaps I should be thankful that they never got that far with _me_." His body seemed more apparent now to him than ever. He clenched his fingers, hearing the metal straining from his force. He consciously stretched his neck, feeling the miniscule grate of metal on metal as his artificial spine bent to the commands of his nervous system.

James looked horrified, "How could Cerberus get their hands on Reaper tech anyway? Last I heard, we didn't even have the capability to do this on our own."

Garrus' head rose, "The Collector base."

"Exactly," Shepard turned to the turian. "They must have salvaged whatever was left after we destroyed it and gained the knowledge to make his own private army of husks."

"Makes me think we should have used a bigger explosive."

"Too right, Garrus."

They left the body there as they descended the staircase. Garrus had managed to call the tram over prior to his discovery and it had only now just arrived. Everyone was rather disturbed at the situation brewing between the Reapers and Cerberus. To them, it looked like the Illusive Man had gotten a little too close to the enemy. But he was never _their _friend in the first place.

The four of them inserted themselves into the tram, donning their helmets, and stood in silence as it noiselessly sped off. Their comms were picking up mindless and random chatter from Cerberus troopers, apparently no one realized that Shepard had been in the facility for about an hour now. They just needed to get to the actual archives in order to sort this whole ordeal out.

The car decelerated a minute later, alerting its occupants to ready their weapons in case there were enemies at the gates. And indeed there were, six in fact. One heavily armored Centurion, two riot-shield toting Guardians, and three standard troopers in all. Difficult for one person? Possibly. For the four of them? Cakewalk.

The door to the tram quietly opened and Shepard came sprinting out, faster than the troops could initially perceive. His pistol was out in the blink of an eye and it blossomed with flame. The armor-piercing bullet careened into the head of the Centurion before he could even throw up his shield, causing his brains to paint the wall behind him. He fell before everyone else even knew they were under attack.

A Guardian peered out from his shield, doing a double-take and shouting in surprise, "Holy shit, that's- _ugh!_"

Garrus had poked out from the tram at this time and had aimed his rifle at the guardian, not at the exposed bit of head, but through the tiny slot reserved for the soldier's eyes. The turian gave a victory growl when the man's chest exploded as his heart was pierced, exemplary marksmanship not realistically doing his ego any favors.

Liara waved her arm and a soldier cried out as he was helplessly sucked around a dark vortex, the singularity trapping him in its gravity well. Almost lazily, she drew her submachine gun and fired two rounds into the man's chest, putting him down for good.

The last Guardian had turned to face the oncoming Shepard as he smashed another trooper away with a powerful blow, breaking the man's ribs and puncturing his lungs. The Guardian braced for a powerful impact when he started jerking as bullets impacted with his sides. Not knowing who his killer was, he fell as his shield toppled over him. Approaching from his flank, James Vega smirked as his assault rifle gave a faint wisp from the brief attack.

They were now free to access the archives. Giving a brief moment to crack the automated security lock, the four of them jogged inside to prevent any more distractions from popping up in the brief seconds they could potentially lose.

The chamber was awash in a greenish glow as tall metal pillars, faint lines traced about them, threw their light everywhere as they glowed from within a cylindrical glass casing. Liara had told Shepard what they were earlier: Prothean data towers. As tall as a two-story building, these columns had the potential to contain millennia of untapped information. It was here that humanity learned many of the galaxy's secrets, giving the species the will and the knowledge to rise up and join the galactic community as a fellow ally. To be uplifted to their full potential they could never realize to begin with.

Due to Council restrictions, it was deemed that all Prothean artifacts that divulged any information be shared throughout the galaxy. No one species was to withhold any knowledge whatsoever, as doing so would give an unfair technological advantage over the less fortuitous inhabitants of the Milky Way. Humanity had already been punished once before for refusing to give up knowledge of artifacts in the past so it made sense that an asari like Liara T'Soni had been granted unrestricted access to the human-controlled facility in the present, as it technically was a neutral zone and all artifacts are classified as publically accessible.

James and Garrus started to sweep the chamber in opposite direction, taking one side of the circular room to meet up in the middle while Liara and Shepard headed for the central console. As the asari began typing and searching for the data she had bookmarked, there was a faint winking noise as the hologram of Prothean text behind them fizzed and altered its image. He turned around, curious, as the indecipherable letters morphed into the form of a human male. One that Shepard did not particularly care to see on his ever growing list.

The Illusive Man.

He sighed openly as Liara whirled as well, "What the _hell _do you want?"

"As courteous as always, Shepard," the man scowled.

At that, Shepard gave a small shrug and allowed a tiny smile, "What can I say? I'm not a very nice guy."

"Your bravado is meaningless. I know what it is you seek."

"Oh, congratulations," Shepard said sarcastically, causing Liara to blurt out a laugh alongside him, "As it happens,_ I too_ also know what I'm looking for. What a marvelous coincidence."

He was taking great pleasure as the hologram across from him smoldered, "You came looking for a way to stop the Reapers. A way to destroy them."

"Don't tell me our objectives are one and the same for once?"

"Hardly. Your ambitions and goals are...admirable, but crude in scope. Whereas you would leave destruction in your wake, I search for a cleaner, more elegant solution. A way to _control _the Reapers and their power."

"Much like your lackeys here?" Shepard jerked a thumb back towards the corridor. Liara was now back at the console, desperately searching for the now hard-to-find data, "Turning them into husks as a proof of concept? You would sacrifice your own kind for your own petty ambitions?"

The Illusive Man gave a cruel smile as he took a drag from his cigarette, "Brave words, Shepard. But as usual, you miss the point."

"I truly doubt I'll ever _see _your point."

"You say that now, my troopers' _improvements _merely strengthen their resolve, giving us the knowledge in the process of how to access Reaper technology. But what if the data in these archives, data that we could have accessed for _decades_, could unlock the key to controlling the Reapers themselves? Think of all the lives we could save, Shepard. Together, you and I, _we _could stop Earth from burning as we speak if we work together to control them."

Shepard narrowed his eyes, "You talk of Earth burning and yet you plot to undermine humanity at every turn by using the Reapers to further your own ends. How many others will you turn into someone like me, like your soldiers, for your own blind aspirations? Only by destroying them will we truly save everyone _and _many more in the future by letting the Reapers burn."

The Illusive Man laughed, "Your lack of imagination is _astounding_, Shepard. You would let the greatest technological gift known to the entire galaxy go to waste in _your _so-called quest for justice? That's what separates me from you, Shepard. I am willing to do anything and everything to ensure the survival of the human race. If that includes letting the Reapers stay intact, then so be it."

Shepard made sure to roll his eyes noticeably, "Then you're deluded. I've seen firsthand what the Reapers can do and so have you. The fact that you don't want them destroyed is outright insanity. If you won't lend me your support, fine. But stay out of my way. We don't need you in this fight."

The cigarette came back to the Illusive Man's mouth, "But _you_, Shepard. You've needed us from the very beginning." The man smirked briefly before continuing, "I now extend to you a counteroffer, if you will continue to interfere with my plans, on your head be it, but consider yourself warned that severe repercussions will be impacted not only on you, but on that wretched quarian that you've somehow become attached to. I might just have to send my newest asset her way, if you and I understand each other perfectly."

Shepard's mouth dropped a half inch as his head immediately was brought to boil, staring at this smug man in his expensive suit. His jaw shook as he struggled to control his urge to rip out the hologram projector in the middle of the floor, for he was so furious. How _dare _he even bring her up. How _dare _he threaten her life. How _dare _he….

Through clenched teeth, Shepard muttered, "Go _fuck _yourself." Liara immediately got the hint and disconnected the conversation, the last image was of the Illusive Man with a greedy smile on his face. That damnable man had the last laugh this round, but next time would be different.

The asari turned back to him with a worried look on her face, "Shepard, I couldn't find the data on the drives."

"What? They already got to it?"

"I'm not sure," she looked frantic. "I don't know if-"

"Hey!" James yelled from a corner of the room, "Step away from that console!"

Shepard and Liara glanced over to see Vega pointing his gun at a small kiosk near the Prothean drives. He had adopted a cautious stance as he slowly moved forward, wary of the person inside. Shepard was about to start jogging over when he saw a flurry of fists and feet plant the marine squarely on his back with a grunt. Seconds later, he saw a slim form bolt out of the kiosk, towards the exit.

Dr. Eva Core.

"Oh, _nice one_ Jimmy!" Garrus shouted scornfully across the room.

"Shut up!" Vega yelled, furious that he had been disarmed in front of Shepard. "She grabbed the data and destroyed the local copy!"

_The data_. Shepard boosted off of a foot and immediately plunged after her. She saw him give chase and somehow managed to increase her speed, running impossibly fast. As fast as he could.

She whirled for a moment and waved her omni-tool, closing the door to the archives and locking it. He didn't even stop for a moment, lifting a foot and smashing through the door so hard that the locks burst out of the frame. Hopping over the twisted metal, he saw Core turn the corner into the maintenance area and he relentlessly pursued.

Pipes and valves jutted out at every turn. He had to position his body frequently so that he wouldn't hit anything and slow his velocity. Regardless, his shoulder nicked a small pipe, dislodging it, and sending steam floating through the air.

He ran out into the Mars atmosphere, feeling the tug of the wind at his frame. Shepard heard a clanging sound to his left and looked up. Core was only finishing clambering up a ladder that led to a landing zone. He cursed and jumped over to the ladder, engaging his comm at the same time.

"Cortez, we need you on an intercept course, copy?" Just static came through. The approaching dust storm was already interfering with communications. "Cortez, do you read?" Still nothing.

To his horror as he reached the top, there was already a shuttle waiting on the landing pad, painted in Cerberus white, not Alliance blue. Shepard grabbed his pistol and fired a few shots at the fleeing doctor but they merely impacted on her shields, splashing harmlessly away. He roared as she jumped into the craft and it wasted no time in taking off, too early for Shepard to manually bring it down by leaping on it.

As he helplessly watched the Kodiak fly away, a large shadow dropped over him, encasing him in darkness. He spun around in shock, expecting the large form of a Reaper to be towering over him, their nightmare staring them in the face. But he blinked once as a smile soon appeared on his face.

The Normandy's forward cannons burst once and the escaping Kodiak jerked as its port engine was caught in the blast. Now without proper forward propulsion, it spun around in the air a few times, the pilot wrestling for control of the craft but it was a hopeless cause. With a mighty crash, the Kodiak hit the deck of the pad hard and skidded forward several feet, immediately bursting into flames.

As this went on, the Normandy set itself down on the overhanging loading ramp, opening the cargo bay doors as it docked. Its duty done, the engines sat idling as it waited for its crew to board after they had finished their business on the red planet.

Shepard did not wince as he heard the pilot's screams in the Kodiak from being burned alive, striding forward and giving an unseen salute to the pilot sitting above him at the moment. "Thank you, Joker," he muttered as Liara, Garrus, and James now joined him on the platform.

He walked over to the raging conflagration and peered inside to see if he could spot Dr. Core's body. Burned or no, she still had the data and he needed to make sure it was intact. Before he could rip off the door for access, someone inside did that for him as he felt the frame press into him, flinging him backward as the whole door was displaced from a powerful kick.

Sitting up off the ground, he grumbled as he pushed the hatch off of him but froze after he did so. What was walking from the remnants of the shuttle was not Dr. Core, nor was it human. Its body was comprised of a greyish material, it walked perfectly straight, and it wore a glowing red visor that doubled as a head-up display. The orange eyes surrounding grey irises blinked slowly as its remaining flesh and clothes sloughed off her from the intense heat. Liara gasped and Garrus winced but Shepard instantly knew.

Core was a cyborg, the same as him.

The metal woman looked at Shepard on the ground and then to his squadmates. Determining that the group was the bigger threat, she started to lunge at them but Shepard had anticipated this outcome, only a couple of feet away for him to properly react.

"_Oh no you don't!"_ he growled as he sprung to his feet and tackled Core in midair. Together, they fell to the ground where Core squirmed in his grip. Her legs thumped his sides but enhancements or no enhancements, it would be a tall order to even make him let up on her now.

Her expression went unchanged as she frantically swung a fist into the side of his helmet, causing his head to snap back. It didn't cause the seal to break and he recovered quickly enough for him to catch her next attempted blow as she drew her hand back for another attack. Core's eyes widened as she was completely pinned as she lay on the ground, Shepard atop her with her hand clamped tightly in his grip. He grinned underneath his helmet as he slowly moved her arm away from her body, both of them straining against the other. With his other hand, he grabbed his pistol and placed it firmly in the center of the cyborg's chest, ready to snuff out its synthetic spark.

"_Shepard_," EDI's voice came to him just as he was about to pull the trigger.

"What is it, EDI?" he shouted, Core was still struggling to not be shot underneath him as the barrel was still pressed against its chest.

"_That unit is a fully mobile gynoid that could contain vital information on Cerberus. Destroy it and you could lose a potentially valuable resource._"

The commander placed his pistol back into his holster as he fought the thrashing limbs coming from Core, getting frustrated enough to punch it in the face several times in a vain attempt to stun it. That only bruised his hand, causing him to wince, "So what do you suggest we do?" His patience was wearing a little thin right about now. If he wasn't to shoot it, then what did EDI have in mind, exactly?

"_Hack into its processes, bring down the firewalls and I can commence remote authority_."

There was no time to debate it. He motioned to Liara and she rushed over, careful not to get in range of the thing's arms as she brought up her hacking application, following EDI's guidelines to the letter. Shepard had to keep the thing restrained so that it wouldn't kill anyone or put them in the hospital before EDI achieved whatever goal she had in mind. The nodes that had been brought up on Liara's screen were cleverly hidden within its inner workings, but she was able to match them up in fifteen seconds, creating a bypass shunt that allowed her to access the thing's inner code. Finding the errant process, she substituted the necessary crack and the icon closed. Public access granted.

"Now, EDI!" Liara yelled and Core instantaneously seized, all limbs stretching out as wide as possible. Her face became slack-jawed, motors straining as various commands cycled through, the processor unsure of which order to follow. Two seconds later, the cyborg relaxed, its limbs carefully lowered to the ground as its visor turned a cool shade of blue.

"Hello, Shepard," EDI's voice came through, but not from anyone's comm. Shepard looked down, startled as what had been Eva Core smiled up at him.

"EDI?" he asked, completely confused, not ceasing his grip on the machine.

It nodded. "Yes," came her voice, perfectly clear.

Startled, Shepard jumped off as the grey unit sat up, dusting itself all over before standing before all of them. It smiled, giving off a warm and friendly exterior. It was bizarre to Shepard, to say the least. It _had _only been shooting at them moments ago.

"I…" he struggled stupidly, "I guess it worked, huh?"

The unit lifted its arms as the head examined them, curious about its new body, "Exactly as anticipated. I calculate an increase in unit productivity by twenty three percent with the addition of this unit. Acquisition of Prothean data confirmed."

He was about to ask for specifics when a bolt of lightning cracked down a few miles away, the noise rumbling throughout the dusty canyons. Everyone sans EDI started looking around nervously at the towering storm cloud. At its current rate, it would hit within ten minutes. It was time to leave.

He looked back to his crew and motioned for them to get on board the Normandy. Relieved, they hurried along as Shepard turned to EDI's avatar. "We can discuss this later. Also, we need to figure out a way to break this to Joker gently. I'm not entirely too certain on what his reaction is going to be like."

"I would not be too worried, commander," EDI assured as she strode up the ramp. "Based on Mr. Moreau's extranet searches, I would warrant that his reaction to this form would be less hostile than our initial encounter."

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm not completely convinced by that."

* * *

Three hours later, he had to concede the fact that EDI's initial hypothesis was right on the mark. Apart from a jump from Joker at the sight of EDI's new body, he did seem to become a lot more accommodating to the AI once her new form sat down in the copilot's seat next to him. The pilot did not even give a word of protest (most likely due to him being so flabbergasted that he couldn't mouth a coherent word for a minute) so Shepard, smirking as he did so, left the two to their own devices.

Once the Normandy had left Mars' atmosphere, the ship had immediately plotted a course for the Charon relay, desperate to escape the system that was slowly becoming infested with Reapers. It would mean that most of the people on board would be going further from their home, but it was the only option possible at this point.

Now, as promised, he stood before Admiral Hackett as he presented his findings to the man. The elder man's attitude was still discouraged over the loss of Earth but he still kept his steely exterior intact as he listened to both Shepard and Liara give a complete rundown of what happened on Mars.

It was not good news for Hackett. He stroked his goatee as he sighed, "So this...Dr. Core was the one who let Cerberus in and a synthetic organism to boot?"

"That's correct, admiral," Shepard confirmed, consciously noting the hypocrisy of the situation. "The Illusive Man also contacted us in the archives. He basically stated that he would stop all our attempts to destroy the Reaper forces so that his own personal agenda goes untarnished."

"Whatever for?"

Shepard shrugged, "He just said he wants to control the Reapers in order to obtain their technology and that the information contained in the archives provides the clue to doing just that."

Hackett just shook his head in disbelief, "We don't even know if we can _destroy _them, so how does he figure that they can even be controlled in the first place?"

Liara now stepped in, "Apparently, he thinks that the Prothean device listed in the data provides the clue to do so."

This was the first mention of any content of the archives at all to Hackett or Shepard. "Device?" Hackett questioned. "What device?"

Liara opened her omni-tool and a greenish blueprint of a complicated looking structure burst out, surrounded by glowing Prothean text. "It's known as the 'Crucible,'" she explained. "A device capable of emitting unquantifiable levels of energy devoted to destroying the Reapers."

"Sounds a little too good to be true. How come the Protheans never used it?"

"They never managed to complete it," Liara scanned the text. "They seemed to be missing a critical component called the 'Catalyst.' All I'm seeing here is that the Crucible was designed for the purposes of destroying the Reapers, not controlling them."

"Then the Illusive Man is fighting a hopeless cause," Hackett mused. "We might have to consider the fact that he has been indoctrinated by the Reapers as evidenced by his erratic behavior and from the partial husks you encountered back on Mars. I'll also need you to forward the data to me, Dr. T'Soni, so that we can begin construction. It's not the firmest lead we've ever had before but it's something that we can at least try to use."

Liara nodded, "I'll do that at once, admiral. But I must point out, when we were on the archives, Dr. Core had been uploading the data off-planet before we interrupted her."

"And you think some of this data managed to reach the Illusive Man?"

"We can't discount that possibility as we don't have a way of knowing what has been copied. We can only hope that the information that Cerberus got is too vague for them to make any sense of it."

"Hope is all we really have left, doctor," Hackett sighed. To Shepard he spoke, "I'm assuming that you _did _take the necessary precautions when bringing the synthetic on board the Normandy?"

Shepard nodded, "EDI went through a full systems scan and Liara provided backup. It's as clean as can be, sir." Hackett had been made aware about the Normandy's AI addition when it had been grounded in Vancouver. Per his orders and from a recommendation by Shepard, he turned a blind eye to the illegal intelligence and simply signed off on it as a VI for the overhaul crew. As long as it didn't draw attention to itself or upload a random virus, Hackett had seen no problem in letting the AI remain on board.

Hackett crossed his arms behind his back, "Very well, then. As long as you're careful, commander. On the other hand, I do have some important news for you."

"What about?"

"I got in touch with Udina a few hours ago. Seems that with the invasion and all, the Council races will be convening a summit in two days time in the Annos Basin. I was selected to go as humanity's representative but seeing as things are tied up where I'm at and now I have this Crucible business to oversee, I humbly requested that you go in my stead."

It was a carefully worded order, one that Shepard had no chance of refusing, let alone voicing his displeasure for politicians in general. "I...I copy, sir."

"Among you will be the salarian dalatrass, the turian primarch, the asari's representative, and a krogan clan leader."

Shepard arched an eyebrow, "The krogan? Do you think it wise putting them in a room with the salarians and turians?"

"They're just going to have to get over themselves. This war is bigger than any one species combined and everyone is going to have to work together in order to survive."

"I understand you perfectly, admiral," Shepard rubbed his jaw. "I'm just wondering if _they _will."

"They better," Hackett gave a simple shrug, "Or this war will be over very shortly." The man turned to the side as if someone was talking to him off screen. Nodding at the unseen individual, Hackett spoke quickly, "I better get back to it then, commander. Keep me informed on the situation. Hackett out."

"Yes-" the hologram shut down before Shepard had a chance to finish, "...sir." Liara crossed her arms as she looked at him expectantly. Leaning on the console for a bit, he turned to her as she stood there patiently, "Liara, go tell Joker to set a course for the Annos Basin if you would be so kind."

It was perhaps not what she wanted to talk about but apparently it could wait as she gave a curt nod before departing, leaving Shepard alone in the comm room. He sighed as he was granted a moment's peace, leaning against the smooth wall of the room, opening his omni-tool. He filtered past all the work orders and spam in his messages tab, looking for anything in his personal folder. He double-checked, then triple-checked to see if he had missed anything.

He needn't have bothered. It had only been two days but he thought he would have received a response at this point. His mailbox was empty, Tali hadn't replied to his original message yet.

Shepard sat down in the room, pondering the reasons that would prevent Tali from talking to him. Lack of a extranet connection? Under specific orders for no contact? _ ….Dead?_ The few answers that he did manage to come up with did not assuage him in the least.

That, indeed, was a troublesome prospect.

* * *

**_A/N: In favor of moving the story along so that I don't end up novelizing the entire ME3 storyline, I will be making the next chapter a little more-widespread in terms of actual content covered._**

**_The reason for this is because it is not really a section of the story that I consider to be the most important concerning all the characters that I've focused on thus far, and that I haven't found many ways to alter the plot in those particular areas._**

**_Rest assured, once I get past that hump, things will start to get interesting._**


	27. Chapter 3: This Wasn't Covered in Basic

"The krogan has no right to demand anything at this time!"

Shepard dearly wished at the moment that he didn't have to be in this room at all, that he could just turn off his hearing receptors and let the dalatrass prattle on while he endured such blissful silence. Possibly then he could build up his patience again and perhaps move negotiations along. His fingers twitched as the notion to punch something yearned within him.

If this wasn't so important, he would have cursed the unsuspecting salarian out by now. How much more posturing could anyone take? The unflappable Hackett would be so much more suited to this kind of work. Ten more seconds of this and the future of Shepard's resolve would be rather doubtful.

Across from him in the Normandy's conference room, the turian primarch, a seasoned general by the name of Victus, also carried a pained look on his face. At least someone shared Shepard's opinion, thankfully.

Victus, formerly a general in the turian military, came from a noted family of warriors on Palaven and he was a rather impromptu replacement for the previous primarch, who was killed when the Reapers hit the turian homeworld. Liara had been fortuitous enough to procure the general's resume for Shepard to read in his spare time. It read like a bold screenplay, it listed victory after victory, describing Victus as a take charge sort of man who was quite popular with his troops, someone who looked after his people first and foremost. Victus, however, was a pragmatic sort of turian, looking to help his own people but observant enough to know that they needed help in the first place. It had been his idea in the first place to invite the krogan to this summit, ironically, something the salarians and asari didn't take rather well.

To their credit, the dalatrass still showed up to the summit, despite her worries, but the asari had unceremoniously and very suddenly decided not to attend, as if they were offended by the idea of treating with the krogan in the first place. This was an unfortunate setback. With one major power already gone, the situation was turning even more desperate. Victus wasn't budging until he got support from the krogan, the salarians didn't want the krogan here at all, and the humans just wanted _someone_ to put their foot forward and lend a helping hand.

But at least he had more friends than enemies in this room. The clan chief that represented the krogan turned out to be a very old friend for Shepard, one Urdnot Wrex. After enduring a hug that would have probably killed him without his reinforced body, the krogan managed to stop roaring with laughter long enough to explain how he had become the de facto leader of the krogan.

It turned out that because Wrex carried the title of Urdnot, he already exerted a major pull on his home planet of Tuchanka. Centuries of radical thinking plus experience serving in Shepard's campaign against Saren turned out to have inspired him to return to his home and unite his people under one banner.

It was amazing on how much the krogan had changed in the last couple years. Wrex was still the bloodthirsty mercenary underneath but he hid his darker side well with a keen mind and a talent for being quite persuasive.

The only problem was that the dalatrass wasn't budging.

"I have already said this before, salarian, and I'll say it again," Wrex growled menacingly, "Use my name when speaking to my face. It is Urdnot Wrex, and if you call me 'krogan' one more time I'll-"

"_Wrex_," Shepard spoke sharply, cutting him off. They didn't need this situation deteriorating any more than it already had. Wrex rumbled but backed off, earning an admirable nod from Victus. Anyone who had the ability to calm a krogan on the edge of a rampage was a force to be reckoned with, in the turian's book.

"Dalatrass," the turian now turned towards the salarian, "If you're going to continue antagonizing Wrex throughout this whole meeting then I have to question the fact of why you are here in the first place. If you're just going to keep up your bluster, fine, but at least have the spine to accept the fact that we _need_ the krogan to win this war."

"You don't know that!" the dalatrass was dumbstruck, acting like she was speaking to an invalid. "You think you know the krogan so well, primarch, don't you? But let me remind you exactly _who_ uplifted the krogan to begin with. I would think that the salarians know their true colors best. That is why we created the genophage in the first place, to keep their 'urges' in check."

Wrex bared his teeth in a dangerous snarl. Shepard glanced at the telltale sign and fought to control his eyes from rolling upward. This dalatrass certainly was an idiot. She was most likely oblivious to the fact that she was dangerously close to getting her head ripped off by Wrex in this very room. "For all the time we've been standing here, dalatrass," he began in a disinterested tone, "You certainly haven't contributed much to the discussion at hand. You've given no terms, no mention of a deal, only continued to lecture us on the merits of treating with the krogan in the first place."

"That is because this is folly!" she exclaimed. "No good can come from an alliance with the krogan."

Wrex leaned forward across the table, "It's been over a thousand years and your kind never had the guts to even stand in the same room to listen to our pleas for aid until now. And suddenly, the opportunity for you to grovel at my feet dropped right into my lap and what do you do? Hastily point fingers and accuse us all of being mindless animals, one of them being a close friend that I would die for." He nodded at Shepard, who smiled at the krogan's loyalty, "Having _him _around is the only reason I'm here in the first place."

"And we've given you our terms," Victus walked to a corner of the table, temporarily ignoring the salarian, "And you can tell us _yours_. What will it take to get you to work with us? You can forget the dalatrass at the moment, treat with me and Shepard. What can we do for the krogan to join us?"

A quick bout of laughter rumbled from Wrex, "At last, another turian with a shred of common sense. I'm afraid that I have my own problems on Tuchanka, Victus. I will not be able to convince the krogan to fight for you except on one condition."

"Do not play the pronoun game with me, Wrex. What condition are you referring to?"

"Curing the genophage, of course."

_Would you believe this if you could see it, Tali? What I go through without you?_

"That is not negotiable!" the dalatrass yelled. "The genophage is not part of this discussion at all!"

Wrex glanced at Shepard, "She's making this a hard case for you there."

Enough was enough. It might not have been humanity's place to decide then and there but what choice did any of them have? The genophage was implemented when humans were still using swords and shields as weapons. Shepard's role as moderator was probably ill-appointed in hindsight but there was a war going on after all. If the krogan were going to be a problem in the future, so be it, but the Reapers were the current problem now. And the choice was easy to make once the logic was out in the open.

"Dalatrass," Shepard said firmly, "The krogan have paid for their mistakes. The genophage has gone on long enough that we have to take the krogan's contriteness on faith."

"You want to unleash _them_ on the galaxy? Commander, many have said that you were an intelligent man but from my perspective you appear to me as a fool."

"Dalatrass, _be quiet_," Victus snarled, saving Shepard from proving her right by shooting back an equally snide insult in kind. "What Wrex is referring to is conceptual at best. We currently do not have the means to formulate a cure in the time frame that we have." He then glanced surreptitiously at the krogan, "Unless you know something I don't."

"As a matter of fact, turian, I _do_." Wrex waved a hand and the glass wall of the conference room behind Victus turned opaque as the built-in screen glowed brightly.

Projected for all to see, a handheld image was wavering as its operator scampered across a laboratory floor, seemingly taking the routes that were covered the most in shadow.

Victus gestured to the screen, "What exactly am I supposed to be seeing?"

"Keep watching. My source will deliver."

The camera turned a corner and behind five blue-tinted force fields in the middle of a large room, down a small staircase, stood three large shapes. All were clothed in a draping hood that covered most of their bodies, light flowing pattern on a dark background, but the forms were unmistakable to all in attendance.

"_Females_," Victus' mandibles twitched. "Krogan females."

"_Fertile_ krogan females," Wrex corrected, gazing at the dalatrass with malice. "Fertile krogan females imprisoned within a salarian military base…on their home planet. And that's not all, these females happen to be _immune_ to the genophage." He straightened his posture, rising to his full height, "And _she_ knows it."

Shepard's face hardened, "Dalatrass?"

_Petty grievances have a way of coming back to us, my love. It's the curse of our woefully intact memories._

The salarian glanced all around the room, finding only cold, judgmental faces. She seemed to be working up a way to get out of the situation but realized that any explanation made in her defense would be torn to shreds. There was no way out for her here.

"What would curing the genophage do for me?" she managed halfheartedly. "For the salarian people?"

"For starters," Wrex clenched a fist and the faint hint of indigo started to trail up his arm, dark energy slowly gaining, "You would leave this ship with the same amount of fluids in your body that you have now. You have something of mine, something priceless to all krogan. If you have any hope of surviving this war, let alone the next five minutes, you are going to give me the females' location and you are going to give it to me _now_."

"Shepard," the salarian was getting frantic, "Are you just going to let him threaten me?"

He shrugged, "I might even let him carry out his threat, if you continue this little charade. How about you just hand over the location of the females and you can worry about your ass later? Because when this is all over, it will be good to have made a few friends on your side of the fight. The accounting will definitely be less severe when it comes to that."

The dalatrass looked livid, almost as if she was going to hurl herself at the commander but her shoulders slumped. She had finally relented. "They're on Sur'Kesh," she sighed. "The STG base located in the Kab'ril range."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he smirked, Wrex mimicking him, and Victus nodding sagely.

The dalatrass lowered her eyes, "Just remember that a bully may have their share of friends, but when he needs them most, he will find himself lacking."

Shepard gave a mental shrug._ Good to know, you stupid bitch._

* * *

_Five hours later – Sur'Kesh_

The elevator opened up into the cool room and Shepard, Wrex, and Garrus exited hurriedly out of it. Their escort, a hardy salarian by the name of Wiks hustled along as he ran to the technicians operating the containment fields.

Wrex grumbled as he scanned around the laboratory. It was the same room as the one from the handheld footage. Dim lighting, vats of orange liquid on the far wall, and a series of blue glowing chambers at the bottom of a staircase. It was here that the krogan ran to, searching frantically for a sign of life.

The first three chambers were empty but in the second-to-last one lay four forms. All wrapped in body bags.

Wrex whirled, looking completely murderous. "_What happened to them?!_" he roared, sending a nearby group of salarians scurrying for the top floor. Wrex's red eyes were dilated, the air around him was starting to distort as he threateningly gathered dark energy for a charge.

"Immune systems weakened from disease," a rapid-fire voice burst fearlessly to the side. "Did everything we could to save them. Did not intend for this outcome."

Shepard turned, holding a hand up to calm Wrex down. "Mordin!" he exclaimed as the slim, white suited form of the doctor walked toward him. He held out his hand and the salarian grasped it genuinely.

"Good to have you here, Shepard," Mordin Solus said, relieved, before glancing to Wrex. "Please assure krogan colleague that females deaths were no fault of ours."

"Wrex," Shepard obliged, "Mordin is a friend. I know he wouldn't lie to me."

The krogan remained unconvinced but he stopped his biotic amplification nevertheless. "You can't tell if salarians are lying, Shepard. He might just be trying to save his own neck by diverting the blame."

Mordin looked a little miffed, "Divert blame? Would never have _known_ about females if it weren't for _my_ involvement."

Shepard blinked, "_You_ were Wrex's inside source?"

"Correct. Females are last hope for krogan. Have made many mistakes in lifetime, Shepard. Feel like I can correct my largest one."

Wrex still looked livid as he glanced to the cell, "Looks to me that they _were_ the last hope for the krogan. What good are a few dead females to me now?"

"Females had shown signs of extensive genetic modification. Immune systems were severely deteriorated from extreme experimenting. Would be comparable to quarian immune system at the time of death. All were in poor health when we recovered them from Tuchanka. Did everything we could to save all of them." Mordin suddenly smiled, "Work not all for naught. One still lives. Health moderate."

"_What?_" Wrex breathed. "Show her to me."

The salarian gestured to the final cell, in which Wrex wasted no time in hustling towards the barrier, Shepard following close by. Mordin entered into a side door to the cell as he worked at the controls while Shepard looked inside to see the krogan in question.

She was draped in a long cloak that covered all but her eyes. They were yellow and slit, containing a weary look as if she had borne the pain of her fellow sisters in the nearby cells. She was positioned on a harness but it didn't look like it was uncomfortable for her. It instead was meant to orientate her so that she would be kept restrained but complacent all the same.

The female sighed softly as they moved closer to the field, "Have the salarians finally found it in themselves the courage to kill me at last?"

Shepard shook his head, "Nothing of the sort. We're here to free you."

The krogan gave a slow blink before turning her head to the side, recognizing the human's companion. "Urdnot Wrex. Does the human know of your interior motive? Is he aware of my significance?"

"He does," Wrex growled. "And I trust him with my life."

"Then he should be aware that I am dangerous to many people. That my body carries the genetic information that makes me the most valuable krogan who's ever lived. And that there are those who would not want the genophage cured because of me and would want nothing more than to have me killed."

"I understand your significance," Shepard stepped forward, "But I'm here to see that the krogan get the ending that they deserve. I've been able to bear witness to krogan loyalty in my lifetime and have realized that their salvation has been overdue for a long time. And that's why we need to get you to Tuchanka, to give the krogan people something worth fighting for."

The female gave a soft chuckle, "The human is very direct, Wrex. And it seems that he does carry our best interests at heart."

"Shepard has made a habit of surprising me many times," Wrex shrugged. "I consider him part of my krantt, whether he likes it or not."

"Bold words," the female said in satisfaction. "And coming from a krogan such as yourself, almost unheard of."

"Shepard," Mordin stepped out the cell access door, "Ready to move Eve now. Must meet us on top platform to authorize release."

"Eve?" Shepard asked, peering at the female. "Rather odd for a krogan to be given a name that is steeped in _human_ folklore."

"Symbolic gesture, Eve was the mother of all humans. Thought that _she_ would be the mother of all krogan. Seemed appropriate."

"Well, salarian?" Wrex pushed forward. "We haven't got all day, you know."

"Yes, yes, but first," Mordin reached behind him and produced two white pistols and handed them to Shepard, "Appropriated from STG armory. Designated 'Scorpions.' Fires squash-head, low velocity, explosive projectiles. Might be useful later."

"Shiny," Garrus piped up, "Can I have one?"

"Knock yourself out," Shepard passed one of the pistols over. "But I don't think I'll keep the other for myself, anyway."

"If you don't want that one, I'll take it as well," Garrus was practically drooling over the sleek design at this point.

"Nah, I think it would be something that Tali might be able to put to better use." _If I ever see her again, that is._

"Like an engagement present?" the turian asked mischievously. "I see how it is."

"We're not getting married yet, Garrus. Hasn't even been brought up in discussion." If he had been drinking something at that point it would have shot out of his mouth. The turian had the worst sort of timing as it was.

"I heard a 'yet' in that last sentence, there."

"Oh, be quiet."

"_Both_ of you princesses be quiet," Wrex rumbled as Mordin closed the access door, the cell starting to move upward. The three of them dutifully hiked back over to the lift in the corner and depressed the button for the top floor. There was nothing else to do but tap their feet as the lift started its torturously slow climb.

"I've noticed you've become awful quiet, Garrus," Wrex noted. "What's wrong, having second thoughts?"

"I don't really think I'm qualified to answer that, Wrex."

"Scared I might have a bad reaction? Come on, turian. We've known each other for a couple years now. Let me guess, you don't really want the genophage cured, do you?"

Garrus' eyes widened slightly, "That's not it at all, Wrex."

"Then what is?"

The turian cocked his head in a shrug, "That everything is about to change. And, strangely, I'm looking forward to it."

The lift's doors opened moments later and the trio was greeted by a barrage of noise. Bullets were flying as the salarians they could see were speared by incoming projectiles, slumping in green pools as their chests leaked blood everywhere. Shouts and screams filled the air as distant explosions bloomed around the landing zone.

"I regret asking for your thoughts," Wrex grumbled.

Shepard and everyone else crouch-walked out of the elevator, hiding behind a low wall as they ascertained the situation. A Kodiak shuttle hovered over the one that they had used to get to the planet, but this one bore the whiteness of Cerberus on it. Down below, their troops were overrunning the salarian defenses as they swept from station to station, firing their rifles in short bursts.

The timing of their arrival could not be any more coincidental. They were obviously here for the female, whose cell was now starting to rise up from the basement.

Wrex had that part figured out from the start. "Oh, _now_ they've done it!" he roared as he vaulted over the railing, landing several feet below but springing into a charge almost immediately. The nearest trooper heard a roar and turned too late to see half a ton of raging krogan fling an arm in his direction, sending him flying through the air to impact on a stack of crates in the corner, breaking his back in the process.

Garrus took out his Scorpion and stood up to fire a burst in the back of a guard that had been distracted by Wrex's attack. The soldier twitched as a glowing blue ball latched itself onto him, twisting around to see what had just happened when the ball exploded with the force of a grenade. Muscle tissue and extremities rained down in a red haze soon after, leaving the lower torso from the waist down to collapse.

"I think I'm in love," Garrus said breathlessly as he stared at his new gun.

"I'm sure the young ladies on Palaven will be devastated," Shepard sighed as he grabbed his submachine gun and pistol, holding them akimbo as he raced down the ivory steps. Wrex was busy tearing soldiers apart with his shotgun as he ran down, close blasts was sending blood everywhere, turning the ground slick. Shots had broken through the krogan's shields a long time ago but his natural plate armor and regen factor was not letting the bullets slow him down one bit.

The krogan's shotgun clicked as it ran out of clips. Wrex had plenty to choose from around his belt but he was so incensed with murder that he didn't want to break his stride, deciding to use his weapon as a club, smashing a trooper over the head with it.

Shepard had come up behind a pair of soldiers that were too concentrated on the infuriated krogan in front of them that they never realized their plight until Shepard put a couple rounds through their heads. Eve's platform had reached the top floor by now, Mordin was looking worried through his pod as he brandished a pistol in preparation.

A Cerberus engineer had the foolhardy idea of trying to tackle Wrex from behind, brandishing a knife as if he was going to stick it in the krogan. However, the human had not considered the fact that most areas on krogans are impervious to bladed weapons, a fact he quickly found out when the blade failed to penetrate a spot near the neck, sliding off the impenetrable plates.

Wrex had been so engrossed in his bloodlust that he had not noticed the human on his back initially but definitely felt the botched stabbing attempt. Without wasting any time, he _threw_ his body backward and the engineer was crushed between him and the nearby wall with a _crunch_. As if that was not enough, Wrex turned around and grasped the hand that was still holding the knife and simply twitched to the side, the human's arm getting ripped out of its socket in the process.

A trooper cursed as another ball became stuck onto his leg but soon quieted once that ball took out sixty percent of his body in an instant, Garrus howling with laughter from above. He was absolutely giddy as he fired the little balls of death, thanking STG for such a marvelous weapon.

A centurion had taken notice of Shepard at this point and rolled out of the way to avoid any incoming fire. Shepard tracked the man's movement with his submachine gun and started plugging away at his shields when he stood up. Seeing no cover in the vicinity, the man opted to rush the commander, drawing an electro-staff from a slot in his arm.

Shepard smirked as he holstered his weapon, planning out his next strategy. The centurion might have been well-trained, but he still didn't have a clue who he was dealing with.

The arm with the staff started to descend but Shepard, quicker than anyone could blink, grasped the man's wrist half a foot from his head. The centurion let out a surprised grunt and then a scream as Shepard crushed the wrist in his grip. The hand holding the staff released it and Shepard caught the falling object with his free hand. Flicking the staff on, he thrust his arm forward and speared the soldier through the throat, blood spurting as the electricity sizzled around him.

The scent of cooked flesh reached Shepard's nostrils and he backed away as the man fell to the ground. He rubbed his nose, trying to get the acrid bite out of his senses. He looked away from the man lying there and saw two troopers round the corner. Not a problem for them. Wrex wasn't even breathing hard yet, Garrus was full of energy, and he hadn't tapped into the fullest extent of his anger yet.

Before he could quickly draw a weapon, both men's chests exploded outward from twin blasts behind him. He turned around to see Eve brandishing a shotgun from one of the fallen soldiers, eyes calm behind her veil. Shepard had no idea what to expect from a krogan female as he had never seen one before today but it did make sense that in a society dominated by war-mongering males, the females would have picked up a few tools of the trade here and there. Eve certainly had done this type of thing before, based on her calmness and proper stance.

Wrex gave an approving laugh. A woman after his own heart, it seemed. He walked over Eve to escort her to the shuttle. Shepard did notice that one of the troopers she had shot was still moving. Shotgun blasts to the chest like that, it clearly wouldn't be any longer for him, but there were still questions to be answered here.

He walked over to the man who was lying in a rapidly spreading pool of blood. His armor was completely ruined; bullet holes lined all around his chest, every single plate was streaked with red. With his foot, he kicked the helmet off the man, watching him spit up blood as he tried to focus on his tormentor. The soldier had also begun the process of becoming a husk, his face was lined with wires, parts of him glowed blue, and the flesh was already starting to turn grey around his eyes.

Shepard knelt down so that the man could see him better. "How did Cerberus know to come here? Why do you want the female?"

The man spluttered, "Follow…orders…"

"Who _sent_ you?"

The man looked confused for a brief moment, "Y-…Y-…._You_…did…." With a final gasp and a surge of blood from his throat, his head dropped the final inch to the ground.

Shepard scowled, shaking his head. The man had been hallucinating at the end, he concluded. He had been too far gone to provide any reliable information. The Illusive Man had made good on his word, it seemed, for his plans were already in motion. But just how far did his influence spread before he would work up the knowledge to find-

A huge impact on his back sent him tumbling head over heels with a _whump! _ He skidded to a halt on his back, blinking in surprise as he lay there for a second, stunned. No more blasts came impacting on him, it was just the one shot. And the fact that it had been a mere concussive blast was odd, no one used that type of ammo so carelessly. They were meant to incapacitate, not to kill.

Shepard groaned as he got off his back and on his feet. Staring across the way, hovering next to the pod lift, was the white Kodiak shuttle. Only the door of it was opened, the cabin occupied at the moment.

In it stood a tall, black armored figure. Two green-blue dots on his helmet denoted his optical sensors as several bandoliers lined his chest. One hand gripped the overhead railing as he leaned out of the shuttle, the other held a rifle that he now let drop to his side. The gun that had thrown the blast.

Shepard was dumbfounded as to why anyone would be so idiotic that they would provoke him without warning, but something clicked as the man's armor became familiar to him. The outline and stance matching from a recent memory.

It was the man from the video on Mars, the one that was talking to Dr. Core. The Illusive Man's newest asset.

With a harsh laugh, the figure tossed the rifle to the rear of the craft and with his now empty hand, raised it and held up a single index finger. Shepard tilted his head in confusion before the shuttle's thrusters burned and it accelerated up into the atmosphere. He blinked as the man's actions finally came to light, a bit too late for him to see the repercussions.

_One finger for one hit._

It was a taunt.

Shepard raced forward to the ledge to catch a fleeting glimpse at the retreating shuttle. His pistol shook as his limbs quaked with rage, the handgrip almost snapping as he squeezed. The operative knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he had the upper hand but did not pursue an all-out assault on Shepard. Why? Was he under orders not to kill? Was it simply a personal matter?

Who _was_ that man?

It was questionable at the least. Shepard had been vulnerable, lying there on the ground, but the man didn't want to engage. He only wanted him to _see_, to realize, to know that Cerberus would always follow him to the bitter end.

There was no time to talk about it now, as the Alliance shuttle on the pad was starting to warm up, Wrex and Eve were already aboard, Mordin and Garrus quickly following. He had no reason to linger here anymore, but he had a lot to ponder.

Not only was there a cure to deliver now, but a ghost hanging over his head. It was quite a lot to digest at the moment.

_I'm not the perfect man you think I am, Tali. I've never had all the answers._

* * *

_Six days later - Tuchanka_

The sleek shapes of turian starfighters screamed through the dusty air, one that held the shriek of a Reaper as Shepard and Garrus ran for their lives.

Looking in all directions, krogan were spilling out of hidey-holes in the ancient temple that surrounded the giant set of maw hammers. Tomkahs were roaring, the krogan were bellowing, and Shepard was silent as he kept his head down, not wanting it to be taken off by an errant blast.

There was a brief vacuum of noise entirely and the pillar next to Garrus exploded as a red beam touched it for the tiniest of moments. Molten rock rained upon them, their velocity slow enough to penetrate their shields and make the turian yelp in pain. With the hasty encouragement to keep moving, both of them doubled their pace as the Reaper fired again, scything through the pathway with enough heat to melt their boots to the ground.

Everything had all gone downhill the moment they had landed on the krogan homeworld. After meeting up with the other members of the krogan resistance, they had to endure waves of cannibals, husks, marauders, which were modified turians, and brutes, a mix of various species bred for the purpose of dishing out heavy physical attacks. Wrex had not been exaggerating when he spoke of his own problems on his homeworld. They were big ones, all right.

The days on the Normandy that Mordin spent drafting a cure were rather productive for the salarian, all things considered. Using previous strains combined with his experience modifying the genophage, he was able to procure the right formula in a matter of hours. All they had to do now was simply release it.

That part was easier said than done. The only way to properly disperse the cure in such a manner that it could affect every krogan on the planet in a short amount of time would be to utilize the Shroud, a salarian-constructed tower built for the purpose of regulating Tuchanka's atmosphere after the self-imposed nuclear winter. The Shroud was the only facility that could do the job properly, but there happened to be a guard dog chained to it at the moment.

The Reaper was not as tall as the Shroud itself but that did not make it any more frightening. It didn't matter that it was only a destroyer-class Reaper, it still had the capacity to blow the whole plan to hell at a moment's notice. This was where the crazy part came in.

Knowing the area of Tuchanka well, Eve suggested that Shepard activate the maw hammers in the temple near the facility while Mordin would prepare the cure. In theory, this would call the so-called "mother of all thresher maws" to the area, one such maw called Kalros. The idea sounded absolutely insane but no one else had any real plans of taking out a Reaper at close range. They didn't have a fleet on hand so it looked like the maw would have to do.

Which was where Shepard and Garrus found themselves now, scampering towards the hammers while the Reaper tried to disintegrate them with its giant laser. Rolling over a downed pillar, Shepard and Garrus suddenly split up, heading for opposite sides of the courtyard while the Reaper's legs were descending all around them, attempting to squish them. Garrus shouted in panic as a huge, clawed foot came crashing down to within a couple feet of where he originally stood, almost falling to the ground in shock.

Shepard fought the dust that was being flared up from the repeated impacts and jumped the last few steps, the maw hammer switch in sight. He lifted his legs tirelessly as he lunged for the controls, not wasting any time standing still in one place. A huge booming sound echoed across the plain moments later as he slid down the edge of the temple, another one following quickly after that.

He reached the bottom, feet sinking into the sand as he saw Garrus do the same just a hundred meters away. He ran over the turian as he hit the ground too, rolling to take the impact from sliding down a steep incline made out of dusty rock. Shepard helped Garrus to his feet and they hastened themselves towards the Shroud's control center. However, the Reaper was still maintaining its watch overhead, almost seeming rather serene if it hadn't been giving off its devastating roar.

Garrus scratched his head as they huddled in a corner for half a minute, "Was that supposed to be it? I thought the effect would be instan-"

Without warning, an explosion of sand and dirt appeared half a mile off to their right and the biggest thresher maw they had ever seen, as thick small cruiser, burst out of the hole it had dug for itself. Kalros gave a screech as it leapt toward the Reaper, striking it in the back.

"_Holy shit_," was all Shepard could say as the ground vibrated beneath them.

The destroyer had been caught completely off guard, firing a red beam harmlessly into the air as it was propelled into the ground. Shepard could see wisps of steam rising from where the maw's mouth had clamped on the Reaper's backside. Its potent venom must be strong enough to distort its armor. The Reaper gave a pathetic roar as it struggled to rise but it had already lost by this point.

Its prey stunned, the maw eagerly started to drag it back to its hole, body starting to constrict around it, much like a python. The massive, thick muscles on the creature were so strong that cracks started to appear in the machine's armor. With a snapping sound, red electricity arced around the Reaper's oculus and the screaming stopped abruptly.

With a cloud of dust, the two forms vanished into the desert, the ground slowly ceasing its pulsation.

Garrus shook his head in disbelief, "I would have loved to have gotten a vid of that."

"Come on," Shepard grabbed Garrus' arm, "Let's go see if Mordin needs any additional help."

With no more enemies in the way, it was a simple affair for the both of them to reach the bottom of the tower in a good amount of time. Mordin had already beaten them there, as he was hurriedly scanning different sets of diagnostic machines, making sure everything was in order before the cure was released.

On the flip side, the Shroud itself did not look like it was faring much better than the Reaper that was now stuffed in the hole. Bright explosions were appearing from the top and huge pieces were raining down, making large holes in the skylight. Glass rained down upon them and everyone threw their arms over their heads.

"Mordin!" Shepard called from the top of stairs, "Is everything ready to go?"

"Yes!" the salarian exclaimed. "Managed to find original strain samples and combined with Eve's tissue. Procedure distressful but not fatal. Will become excellent symbol for krogan."

"So now what? This place is falling apart!"

"Cure programmed to release in five minutes time. Shroud damaged by Reaper attack but should remain intact until we're ready."

Shepard was about to pry further when his omni-tool blinked. He held it up, turning to the side slightly. He was getting a call, private channel, blocked ID.

Skeptical, he accepted the message and the image of the salarian dalatrass appeared on his arm, "Dalatrass?"

"Commander," she replied, mood sour, "I trust this is a private conversation?"

"It is," he lied, gesturing to Mordin and Garrus, who were in front of the commander and therefore not in the dalatrass' visual range to come over and listen. "What do you want? I'm rather busy at the moment."

"I know what you are doing, commander, and I have to say that I don't approve."

"Believe me, you made that quite clear the _last _time we talked," Shepard gave Garrus a furtive glance as the turian covered his mouth to stop his sniggering. "Get to the point."

Ignoring his bluntness, the salarian obliged, "I know that you are planning to use the Shroud to disperse the cure for the krogan, and I know that you have roped poor Mordin Solus into doing this for you." The doctor, oddly quiet, merely blinked as she continued, "I do feel that I must tell you that because the Shroud is your only viable option at this point, we had made the effort years ago to sabotage the facility from doing exactly what it is you're there to do now."

Shepard felt himself heat up before he glanced at Mordin, who gave a small shake of his head and mouthed, _Familiar with STG work, can fix._

Keeping his anger under control, he took a breath and glanced back at the dalatrass, "You called me to simply gloat? That's a rather scummy move, even for a politician."

"The sabotage was not permanent," she clarified, "And I know that Solus has the knowledge to rectify it. He would most certainly fix it if he knew about it. But really, commander, why tell him at all?"

Why indeed? This was getting interesting. "Is there a reason why I shouldn't?"

"A big one. If you allow the process to go on unmodified, I can promise you the full might of the salarian fleets."

Garrus blinked and Mordin frowned. Shepard rubbed his chin, contemplating, "You want me to betray Mordin and Wrex, who I might remind you, I've known for much longer than you. _He's _promised me the full strength of his people and the turians will follow shortly. Why should I throw away an opportunity like that?"

"The krogan will be none the wiser! They will simply think that the cure has been processed as-"

"Someone will find out. The truth _will_ out itself and when the krogan find out that they've been betrayed, they will rise up like they did a thousand years ago. They will follow war with more war, is that what you're asking me to do?"

The dalatrass smirked, "Possibly, unless...you order the krogan to the front lines, where they could summarily be thinned by the Reapers-"

"I've heard enough!" Shepard barked. "Mordin, would you like to step forward?" Solemnly, the doctor obliged as Shepard turned his arm to the side, putting the salarian square in front of the display. The doctor, to Shepard's amusement, gave a tiny wave and a smile as the salarian on the mini-screen turned every shade of red possible.

"_What?_" the dalatrass cried. "Commander, you said our conversation was private!"

"Yeah, about that," Shepard gave an exaggerated shrug, "I lied." Watching the alien splutter as she tried to form words, a thought came to him and he grinned, "Put it this way, if you hadn't told us about the sabotage on the Shroud we probably never would have cured the genophage at all. So thank you for your contribution in writing history as we all know it. Who knows, they might make you out to be a hero for what you've done."

"_Command-!_" the dalatrass screamed before Shepard hit the disconnect. The only sounds left in the room was the soft tinkling of glass and crackling of flame in the corner. Mordin looked up at the tower for a brief moment and giving a small sigh.

Shepard stood at the doctor's side, "What is it, Mordin?"

The salarian gave a faint smile, "While fixable, temperature control access...problematic."

"That's not going to be that big of a deal. Where is it?"

Mordin lifted a hand up, towards the metal spire that stretched to the heavens as fire poured out from the top.

Shepard stood there, shocked, "Is...is there no other way?"

Mordin gave a small glance down to the ruined tiles, his breathing slowed, "No...Shepard. No other way."

The urge to put a hand on the salarian's shoulder to keep him in place came and went as quickly as the logic flew in front of his face. Mordin was right, there was no time. He had to let him go.

The salarian, taking his usual hasty approach, walked into the elevator on the far side of the room but before he pushed the button that would take him to the top floor, he gave a final look at both Shepard and Garrus as they stood by, helpless in their situation.

Mordin smiled, "Don't feel bad, Shepard. If variables had been revealed from the start, would have made the same choice." He then pushed the button, the glass door fastened shut, "Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

As the tiny box accelerated off the ground, both human and turian tracked it with their eyes, never letting it out of their sight until it slowed and stopped at the pinnacle. Breaking contact first, Shepard found a bench near the exit of the room and sat down upon it, with Garrus joining him after a minute. They closed their eyes as they reclined their backs on the walls, feeling the slight jolt as a distant explosion sounded after a moment. Silence passed over them as the air glowed from the dusty particles that had appeared from the Shroud itself.

He had done it.

Shepard murmured, "How many more, Garrus? How many more good people am I going to have to send to their deaths?"

Garrus fumbled with his answer, giving a twitch of his mandibles in frustration, "I...I don't know how you want me to answer that, Shepard. I don't think anyone can give you a serious answer on that."

"You don't have to," Shepard muttered, almost sleepily, "I just would like to know if it all would be worth it in the end. That the loss of life justified _something_."

"I can't answer that either," Garrus looked at his friend, "But I do know that had I been in Mordin's position, _I _would have gone up too."

Shepard gradually turned his head until human and turian were staring at each other expectantly. He put a hand on Garrus' shoulder in a close gesture, the turian gratefully responding with a pat on his wrist. They continued to sit for many more minutes as the joyous roars of krogan filled the air.

* * *

_**A/N: Let's just say that next chapter will be a little more exciting. Hopefully this one was altered enough so that it didn't seem like a retread of playing the game as we know it.**_

_**You're just going to wait and find out to what I have in mind.**_


	28. Chapter 4: Well There's Your Problem

_He pushed on blindly through the thicket._

_Branches snapped at him, cutting his face. He could feel the blood start to drip from the scratches that had dug in deep. Leaves crunched underneath his feet as he plunged deeper into the woods. The wind whistled through the trees, giving an unearthly howl._

_He didn't know why he was running, there was no logical reason, but it seemed like the right thing to do. The thrill of a chase, perhaps? But who would be chasing him? Or was he the chaser? He searched the sky for a trace of his whereabouts, a glimpse of the stars, a hint of light on the horizon through the dead foliage._

_No luck, clouds completely covered the sky. The only source of light came from the brief flashes of lightning within the clouds, turning the sky a milky white for an instant._

_One such flash illuminated a small, open patch of ground just up ahead. Dead grass marked the area where the trees had thinned but it offered a reprieve from the forest's assault on him. Continuing on, he picked up his pace and ran even quicker but skidded to a stop once he saw the body lying in the middle._

_The form was draped in shadow, all colors were muted. Even with the lightning crackling overhead, he still couldn't determine who or what he was looking at. Breaking out into a brisk jog, he exited the woods, cool air swirling past his face, making the bloody trails on his skin feel damp. His mouth dry, he approached the shadowy form and cautiously knelt down by it. It was lying on its side, not moving, and he still couldn't penetrate the blackness that had covered it like a fine mist._

_Gingerly, he reached out a hand and grasped a thin shoulder, and pulled it towards him so that he could see. It only took a second for him to jump up and gasp in horror, backing up a step._

_Tali lay on the ground, glowing eyes wide and unmoving behind her visor. The blackness fled her, the purple of her suit lighting up his world as color seeped back into his vision. His gaze was drawn to her torso and he dropped to his knees again as all coherent thinking vanished._

_There was a ragged hole where her stomach should have been. Splattered with red, the suit was stained so badly that it looked like she had held on for hours. Her hands had been pressed over the wound as she had tried to push her guts back in as she lay dying in the ash and mud. His hands automatically went to hers as he numbly tried to do the same, applying pressure in a futile attempt before he could accept what had been presented to him. Tears now stained his cheeks as the sob burst from his throat._

"_No…no…"_

"_**Yes**__," the voice came from below, but not in her voice. What was staring at him now was blinking as he had been uselessly trying to save her, but instead of the warm, white glimmer, a dull blue was staring through instead. Her hands, now animated, grasped at him, holding him in place as they went for his neck. He gagged as her grip constricted, unable to breathe as she sat up, eyes blank behind her cracked visor._

"_**One by one you will fall and from the ashes we will stand triumphant. You cannot save her**__," Tali's visor shattered and a blank face, riddled by blue wires stared back and snarled, "__**You cannot even save yourself...Shepard.**__"_

_She lunged for his face and he screamed, "No, Tali! NO!"_

* * *

Shepard's breath caught in his throat as he surged out of his bed, knocking over his nightstand in the process. Grasping for the Scorpion that he had set aside for later, he checked to see if there was a thermal clip in it before processing his appearance.

The forest was gone, he was back in his cabin. The fish tank near him gurgled and the sheets from the bed lay tangled on the ground after he had kicked them off. He was now standing in his underwear, brandishing a pistol as he breathed hard after waking up from his nightmare, breath coming in huge gasps as his skin felt hot.

_They're getting worse._

Tossing the pistol on his bed with a sigh, Shepard bent to right his nightstand up again, rubbing the back of his neck afterward as he checked the time. He had only received five hours of sleep before that untimely interruption. They were still in FTL travel as denoted by the streaks of light coming from the skylight, but there was no way in hell that he would want to go back and reclaim a few more hours of sleep after _that _unpleasant experience.

Instead, he dropped everything and headed for the shower, taking several minutes to stand in the hot spray and contemplate the events of the past day.

Once Shepard and Garrus had arrived back on the Normandy after taking an hour to confirm with Wrex the support of the krogan, Victus immediately pledged the turian forces to ally with humanity's fleet. It was a big step in the right direction, although it had come at the cost of the salarians, but Shepard didn't care. He knew the right choice had been made.

It had also come at the cost of a close ally, the fact of which that he was still dumbstruck over the loss of Mordin. Shepard felt a pang at the memory of the energetic salarian, at how he had proven himself invaluable many times over, saved their lives through his machinations. He had been a fantastic soldier and a friend. Now he was gone, sacrificed so that the krogan could have a future. It had a rather poetic twist to it. Irony could be cruel sometimes.

What was done was done, in any case. The genophage had been completely cured, neutralized by the substance that Mordin had seen to disperse throughout Tuchanka's atmosphere. It seemed that every single krogan on the planet could not help rejoicing by roaring with glee into the sun as one large chorus.

The krogan's hope had been restored, which meant that they now had the ability to lose it. But their resolve was now steeled. No Reaper would ever get that take that away from them again, Wrex had seen fit to promise Shepard that.

He didn't doubt his friend's words, but he made a point not to tell him about the dalatrass attempting to cut a secret deal with him. Wrex, logical dispositions aside, would have most likely reacted badly to the news and probably would have created a large rift between the two races if they were to come into contact with one another in the future. Shepard didn't need that kind of dissention in the ranks, after all it had only been an attempt and not an act, and so he decided to shelve the conversation, deleting all traces of it from his omni-tool.

He didn't bother attempting to contact the dalatrass again when he arrived back on the ship, or anyone else for that matter. He was still too shell-shocked (having a Reaper shooting at you does have quite an effect) and too tired to even utter a solitary word. His crew, thankfully, understood his need for an actual rest as his cabin was the location he had made straight for after embarking without anyone coming to him.

Until that rest in particular had all been completely undone by that damnable dream.

Ten minutes later, he sat in his chair, dressed in Alliance casual, as he absentmindedly tapped at the console on his desk, noting sourly the still empty mailbox. He flipped through random news articles, each one detailing loss after loss at the hands of the Reapers. The words started to blur together on the screen and every page looked exactly the same. Cursing, he pushed away from his desk as he turned to watch the fish instead, lounging in his chair as he slumped where he sat.

He put a hand on his temple as he held his head up. Now would have been a good time for a drink. He didn't care if he couldn't get drunk, he just needed the harsh taste of a good bourbon in his mouth or a smooth gin. Just something to get the bitterness away from his life, a locus for his troubles.

The screen situated on the glass case blinked as a call was being put through. Shepard ignored it for a few seconds before the chattering noise irritated him to the point where he had to accept the call. Once he was done talking with whoever it was, he could go back to sitting in his relaxed position and fantasize some more about the times when he could actually drink until he passed out.

The face that appeared on the screen was rather unexpected to the commander. For a brief second, he had thought (with a small amount of horror) that the dalatrass had come calling to chastise him some more but a second later he realized that the color of the salarian's robes were different. It was only then did he stop tensing for a bit as the image of Councilor Valern filled the screen, coughing a bit before proceeding.

"Commander, it appears that you have been altering history quite extensively since returning to active duty."

What was this, a prelude to beratement? Even though he would rather explain himself to the councilor rather than the dalatrass, he still was rather skeptical of salarian politicians at the moment.

He decided to confront the issue head-on, "The genophage was the only way we could count on both krogan and turian support simultaneously, councilor. I'm afraid the dalatrass' terms were too steep for humanity to consider."

To his surprise, the councilor merely shrugged, "Yes, I read her report on the situation. She seemed to have described you in it as a 'reckless, renegade, uncivilized dullard that could not even conceive of the consequences of his actions.'" The salarian blinked before continuing, "Of course, I didn't have the heart to tell her that your instincts have been rather...accurate in the past. She would never accept such a statement from me, you understand."

Was this his vindication at hand if he was not going to be reproached right away? Shepard decided to play it off as him not comprehending fully the hidden apology the councilor was giving out, rather taking it at face value, "I know it's not what you wanted, councilor, but I wouldn't have done it if I had felt there was no other way possible."

"I can believe you on that. The krogan are still an unknown variable in our book but at least you have them pointed at the Reapers rather than at any of us, so that may prove beneficial in the long run. Despite that, Linron is still clamoring for all salarian forces to selfishly guard their own borders rather than risk them in the fight."

"I didn't think that she would take the news well."

"Nevertheless, I am in the process of rescinding her orders by calling all troops back to their original positions and to sending engineers your way to assist in the construction of the Crucible. Her initial decisions were made with the best intentions but it's that kind of backward thinking that got us in this position in the first place."

Shepard was floored. He threw out a hand to steady himself on the chair as he visibly reeled. This was quite a nice surprise that threw off the unpleasant edge from his nightmare. Very nice indeed. Could it be that he would be able to get everyone, even after yesterday, in the fight together?

"I'm...I'm...wow, councilor. I can't even begin to...I don't know how to thank you-"

"You don't need to, commander," Valern replied with a wave, giving a friendly smile, the first one Shepard had ever seen from the man. "You've already saved my life once and considering the situation that you were in, there _was _no other option than to cure the genophage. I just wanted to let you know that you can count on the full support of the salarian fleets when the time comes."

Shepard straightened, fighting the urge to break out in a wide smile, "I am grateful, councilor. We all are."

The salarian's face now turned grave, "This wasn't the only reason I came calling, commander."

Shepard furrowed his brow, elation decreasing, albeit slowly, "What is it?"

"Recently, it had been brought to my attention rather worrying information that concerns humanity's representative on the Council, Donnel Udina."

"Information? What about?"

"Financial records, mostly. Only that he's somehow been moving vast amounts of funds from multiple accounts, some of these containing upwards of half a million credits."

Shepard frowned, "That _is _worrying. I've never known Udina to be _that _well off. You think he's been bought?"

"That was the conclusion me and the other councilors came to as well. There was no other alternative that we could come up with. As to who was doing the buying, we haven't decided. It could have been Terra Firma, Cerberus, or any other group that has been disgruntled from the Council's choices in the past."

"So the other councilors have been briefed?"

"All of them. We also notified Udina but kept the true purpose of our gathering from him so that he will join us, as he is expecting a debreifing of sorts from your latest 'exploits.' After that was finished, we were hoping that you would come to the Citadel and meet with us in person so that we can examine this incriminating data more closely. Udina would be rather curious as to why three councilors would meet with you and not him, this is so that it would look like that we merely want to ask you some more, unimportant questions so that he goes unsuspecting."

Shepard never particularly cared for Udina ever since he met the man. Udina was a bit of a blowhard, always scoffing that he was the next best thing in politics. The man had aspired to be humanity's councilor one day, which didn't exactly endear Shepard to Udina when he picked Anderson over him in the end. Of course, his mentor had resigned the position less than two years later and Udina was the only logical option at the time. He wasn't Shepard's first choice, but then again, he hadn't heard that many bad rumblings all throughout Udina's tenure when he had been grounded back on Earth which meant that he was doing an admirable job at least.

Until now, it seemed.

He wanted to ask more but it seemed that the actual meeting would be a better and more secure place for that sort of talk. It would also be a good opportunity to peripherally draw more support, if his temper didn't suddenly flare up. "I'll set up a course right away, councilor. You'll see me in a few hours."

The salarian nodded, "Thank you, commander. We will be awaiting your shuttle. Valern out."

* * *

The ride down to the massive station was quiet within the shuttle. It was only going to be a five minute trip but that didn't stop Shepard from attempting to catch a small nap before they landed.

Across from him, Liara arched an eyebrow in amusement as she saw her commander's head loll from the miniscule motion of the craft. Next to him, the body of Dr. Core blinked animatedly as EDI swept her optics around the confines of the shuttle, exploring its contours.

The AI had expressed interest in going to see the Citadel when they had docked as a source of information for her databanks, and also a chance to test out the mobility of the gynoid that she had "repurposed" for her own needs.

Personally, Shepard had been looking for an excuse for EDI not to come for the slightest fear there was still some hidden Cerberus tech within that body, but the AI had assured him that all processes that were not controlled by her had been summarily deleted. She had even handed Liara the proper code to determine for themselves if she was safe to leave the ship or not. It was slightly begrudgingly that he finally did accept, to which she snappily brought herself to attention.

It was weird, having an AI as a squadmate. But then again, he had been in more interesting situations before. He really was not one to gripe at this point.

Shepard was going to ask Garrus if he wanted to tag along but he found the turian tuckered out in one of the sleeper pods when he came to procure him, his mouth half open as a trail of drool ran down the side of his face. He didn't have the heart to wake him and wasn't that petty as to disrupt someone else's sleep when he himself had had a terrible one. That just didn't seem right.

It might have been pure paranoia that had driven Shepard to order everyone to suit up as if one was approaching a combat zone. That meant full armor and weapons, no excuses. This may have seemed like overkill to the random bystander but it would serve a purpose in this regard. It would give off the impression to the Council that Shepard was very dedicated to winning this war by the very fact that he had chosen to arrive sporting a small arsenal. Perhaps the deep gouges in his chestplate would be convincing enough.

"Um, commander?" Cortez called from the front, snapping him out of his drowsiness. He stood up and groped for the overhead railing, instantly alert.

"What's up, Cortez?"

The man gestured in frustration, "Nothing's up. I haven't been contacted by our Citadel controller yet and we've been flying over the Presidium for a good minute now."

"Have you contacted any of the other controllers?"

"Yes, they're all working fine, but the one assigned to the upper Presidium hasn't been responding and I've hailed them about six times now."

"Alright," Shepard sighed, "Set the shuttle down anyway. If there's a setback about our lack of clearance, we can ca-"

There was a tremendous shriek followed by a cacophony of sound as the Kodiak abruptly jolted. Liara let out a yell and grasped at the handrests for support, Shepard lowered his stance and slid into the copilot seat as Cortez struggled to maintain control of the stricken vehicle. Controls were blinking and turning red all across the board, making it almost impossible for the human to keep up.

"Cortez, report!" Shepard shouted over the din.

"Missile strike," Cortez said through clenched teeth. "Wasn't locked on, had to have come from behind us, perhaps another shuttle."

A bump threw the both of them upward as the motion dampeners started to fail. An icon indicated that the left engine was completely destroyed. Their forward momentum was skewed but the shuttle eased itself down.

"Destination in sight, commander."

"Got it, Cortez. Just keep it steady."

Several harrowing seconds later, there was a terrible shock as the craft landed on the outstretched pad on the Presidium. Metal squealed on metal as the shuttle slid forward a few feet before friction finally stopped its travel. Cortez slumped in his seat and sighed, relieved.

"Nice flying, Cortez," Shepard said genuinely, patting the man's shoulder. "Since this shuttle is down, you should probably get clear with us and find another way back to the Normandy. We'll find out what's going on here."

"Roger that, Shepard."

Activating the door, Shepard, Liara, and EDI hustled out, keeping their heads low in case there was someone taking a bead on them. This didn't feel right, what the hell was going on in the Citadel? The embassies were just up a staircase ahead, but slumped against the far wall lay the uniformed body of a C-Sec officer.

EDI walked up to him and studied the body with a practiced eye. "Pistol, close range, weapons removed," she reported. "This officer had been executed."

"What the hell?" Shepard now knelt beside the AI, trying to come up with his own conclusion. Fallen C-Sec troopers in the middle of the Citadel, in broad daylight? (so to speak, the Presidium never got dark).

_It's not the Reapers, the shooting is too clean. It isn't the geth, so it must be-_

His omni-tool buzzed and he immediately picked up on it without looking at the caller's information, "This is Commander Shepard of the Alliance. To whom am I speaking?"

"Commander Bailey of Citadel Security," came a weathered voice. "We saw your shuttle go down just a few minutes ago."

"'We?'"

"Myself and the Council. We took one of the elevators in the corner and are currently en route to a shuttle that will take us to safety but we're being pursued at the moment."

"Wait, slow down," Shepard shook his head, Liara leaning in to listen better, "Who exactly is doing this?"

"Cerberus landed a small team that proceeded to storm the executor's office and cut off all station communications. Local is all we've got at the moment and you're the only one in range. We barely got out in time. They had that shuttle patrol the outer perimeter in case someone got wise to their actions."

Shepard and his squad were now headed up the stairs, keeping their voices and footsteps quiet. "Is it just the one shuttle?" he asked.

"Just the one that we picked up. I only saw four individuals from the window but I can guess that they're pretty serious judging by how thoroughly they busted up the place."

"Got it. I'll see if I can take care of them once we run into each other and we'll come and retrieve you guys when we're all finished. What can you tell me about the four Cerberus soldiers?"

"Two of them were wearing white armor, carrying swords, oddly enough. There was a black and white engineer, and a huge bastard in black armor that seemed to be the ringleader."

_One hit._

They approached the third floor as they kept their weapons trained on the entrance. They peered out into the small courtyard and dining area before Shepard turned his attention back to Bailey, "Stay put, we're on our way."

Bringing his Avenger to bear they quickly walked through the open area, rolling their feet so as to make as less noise as possible. A few bodies lay on the tables, some dressed in uniform, others in the professional garb of a politician. Innocent bystanders.

The executor's office was just up ahead, just one more staircase to traverse. They followed the path with the barrels of their guns, halting when they stopped at the base of a level to see three forms, all decked out in an armor with white on it, by the door of the office above them. An engineer was crouched as he worked to override the door so that it would latch permanently, two, slim female forms standing behind watching him work, judgmental gaze from their helmets piercing into the back of his head.

Shepard gestured to Liara and EDI to take his sides as they slowly readied their weapons. They hadn't been noticed yet. The engineer was the problem at the moment, any second they delayed he came closer to cracking the door code, making their job of reaching the Council a little more difficult. Once everyone was in position, he whispered a command and the stairwell erupted in noise.

The engineer's body spurted blood from hundreds of holes in his back, rolling down the stairs as the two Phantoms whirled in shock. They unsheathed their swords and started walking down the stairs, preparing to cut into their enemies when everything started to go wrong for them.

With a crackling of static, EDI deactivated her tactical cloak, proving a successful test run, as she swung an arm that impacted behind the first Phantom. The woman cried out briefly until her head hit the stairs at an awkward angle, cutting off her cry with a grunt as she went limp, her neck broken.

The second Phantom lashed out their sword but it glanced off EDI's armor, giving Liara the distraction she needed to create a singularity _within _the Phantom. The woman started to scream as he body reaved and rendered within the dark energy, blood starting to orbit around the black sphere. As Liara let go, the remnants of the Phantom that had not been inside the singularity flopped to the ground, various limbs and half a head among them. Liara winced slightly but they stepped over the gore and moved into the office beyond.

There was no one in the small room, anyone alive at least. Two salarian bodyguards were dead on the floor, single holes in the head, but no executor. However, the console on the empty desk was blinking. Shepard moved over to it and brought up the messaging app, his interest piqued. Apparently the executor had been in the loop between the three councilors and the purpose of this meeting as well.

One such message the executor had highlighted was marked, "_RE: Ud. Fnds - Fwd SB_." Shepard clicked on the icon and a message appeared, timestamped four days ago.

_Mr. Hislop_, it started,

_Your continued provoking of the Council is an unnecessary thorn in our side when you know that it will take more than your paltry forces to defeat the Reapers by themselves. I'm not so easily bullied as was Doyle when you were neck deep in your organization's misdeeds. I may turn a blind eye but when actual words reaches my ears then I have to take action, I have to make it seem like I am cooperating with that damnable Anderson._

_As for the last point you made in our previous correspondence, I'm afraid that I have no ability to deter Shepard from his duty. The man is like an attack dog, he will only stop once the prey has been killed. It was your mistake bringing him back from the dead so I really don't think that any of the blame should be placed on my head, you have had plenty of chances to kill him from what I recall. The flotilla, Horizon, Mars, and possibly more in the coming weeks. That does not sound like my problem to me._

_However, in a gesture of good faith, I can give you the Citadel Council and Shepard. Both will be present for a meeting on the Citadel in the coming days, the details of which I shall provide once if you are interested enough. _

_I've given you my loyalty, but I have yet to reap the rewards. The other councilors and Shepard do not trust me, I am not influential enough with the rest of them hogging the spotlight. With them out of the way, I will be the only original member left and can have the pull to stop the Council from interfering in your work. I only ask that after this, you stop contacting me and consider our arrangement concluded. You will have the Council in your pocket and I will go about my business as usual._

_And with Shepard out of the way, then a slew of opportunities will pop up for you and all your work, if you get the picture._

_-DH_

Shepard intensely breathed in and out as he read the message twice. He made sure to copy it to his omni-tool before he lashed out and plunged his fist through the flatscreen in anger. Sparks and glass tumbled to the floor and Shepard swore quietly. The councilor was right, Udina was dirty.

Liara hovered anxiously nearby, unsure of what to say when voices piped up from the dining area down below that they had to crouch instinctively. They hadn't been noticed yet so they cautiously moved over to the window, staying low as to not be seen, and peeked their heads over the sill.

The executor was pinned on a table by a fearsome looking man, the exact one who had mocked him back on Sur'Kesh. Now that he had all the time he needed to examine him, Shepard's mouth dropped slightly in interest. The agent's shiny black armor completely covered him from all angles, the helmet over his head prevented his face from being seen, the lit optics not allowing anyone to perceive any part of his body. In one hand, he held a long, serrated combat knife that was now pressed at the executor's throat as he seemed to be in the middle of an interrogation.

Liara looked at Shepard, unsure of what to do. Shepard stared blankly at her, wary of the capabilities of the man down below. One misstep could cost them their lives, but they couldn't just leave the executor there to die, could they?

Unfortunately, before their minds were made up, it seemed that the operative had gotten what he needed or was too fed up from the pathetic whimpering of the man he held in his clutches. With a single flick of his wrist, the executor's neck opened up and a geyser of blood fountained in the air. The man stepped back, not wanting to get any on his armor. He studied the gurgling man for a moment before departing towards the elevators in the corner, taking the rightmost one and closing the doors.

An epiphany came to Shepard, "EDI, can you kill his elevator?"

"Of course, one moment." She blinked her eyes once and replied, "Done. His transport will stop two floors down. Is there anything else you need, Shepard?"

_That _ought to frustrate him. "Take the other elevator and get the Council out of here. I don't know what Cerberus wants with them specifically but it is not going to be good in any case. I'll confront our friend in the meantime and distract him."

"Shepard," Liara protested, "That's suicide, you don't know how powerful he might be!"

"I didn't say it was the smart thing to do," Shepard shrugged, "But it is the _right _thing to do. Go now and get them before the asshole manages to escape the elevator in the meantime."

Exhibiting a surge of energy and fresh anger, Shepard ran out the door and practically jumped down the flights of stairs as he desperately tried to reach the floor where the man was currently trapped. Skidding on the shiny tiles, his boots clomped on the floor as he rushed over to the elevator bay at the end of a long corridor. The exit to the Presidium was at his back, hot sunlight creeping to him. Shepard grabbed his rifle from his back as he approached the elevator on the right, switching to armor-piercing rounds in preparation. He heard the elevator on the left whir by his floor soon after. Liara and EDI were on their way, he noted with a small smirk.

Shepard kept his rifle trained on the door, hearing a clicking sound coming from within. His finger itched towards the trigger as a rattling sound came from the door but as soon as it inched the slightest crack open, a translucent streak shot out and impacted Shepard in his stomach hard. He was unable to stop himself from being propelled backwards and rolling a few times on the hard tiles as the click of another rifle reverberated through the corridor.

"That's _twice _I've hit you now, Shepard," a raspy voice came to his ears. "The Hero of the Citadel...thrown down to the floor like a bitch. Quite disappointing."

Shepard snarled as he jumped to his feet and had a brief second to perceive the black-suited man across from him before he brought up his rifle, pointed it at the agent, and held the trigger down on auto. If he wanted a fight, then here would be his fight.

With a simple flick of the wrist, the figure brought his left arm across his body as a blue shield erupted from his omni-tool, sparks shooting out from where the bullets disintegrated upon it. It was as tall as he was, it left no area uncovered from Shepard's point of view. But the commander still fired bullet after bullet at it, hoping for one to penetrate the neon cover.

It was a lost cause that Shepard soon realized. The shield was impenetrable to all projectiles and even disruptor rounds would be hard pressed to break through. The man behind the shield reached behind him with his right hand to produce a pistol, taking advantage of his mobile cover, and that's when Shepard saw his chance.

Throwing his rifle to the side, he started running straight at him with nothing but his fists. And that was the entire point. Kinetic barriers only block incoming objects if they reach above a certain speed. Even Shepard's raw power was still not enough for his blows to be deterred, and both of them knew it.

Shepard's hook passed through the shield and impacted with the man's right arm, knocking the pistol out of his grip. There was no cry of pain from the man as the punch should have resulted in a shattered wrist at least. Instead, he gave his right arm a flick and Shepard had to jump back as an omni-sword shot towards his face.

Taking a few steps backward, the man advancing, Shepard drew his own sword from his omni-tool and held it at the ready. He would now have to consider the shield in his plan of attack. They could block tech based attacks at any speed, which included omni-blades of any size. The man brandished his sword and shield in a sort of mocking salute.

"Whenever you're ready." Incredibly, he sounded _amused_.

_Already there._

Shepard growled as he sprung to the left side of the corridor, the operative tracking every move. Shepard calculated the best distance before he should abruptly wheel and attack. A quarter of a second later, he shot right, straight at the man as he started a diagonal arc from the ground, hoping for his blade to connect with the man's chest.

Very quickly, it was blocked by the shield as it shot forward so that Shepard's blade bounced off the center, surprising him.

_He's fast, about as fast as me._

Taking advantage of Shepard's incredulosity, the man lunged forward with his blade. Shepard barely noticed in time and jumped back but not before the hot bite was felt across his left arm, through the plates. He gritted his teeth and retreated out the corridor, stepping back into the warm light of the Presidium, being followed all the way.

The sound of water fountains and passing skycars gave a peaceful atmosphere to the encounter. The scent of ozone bit into Shepard's nostrils and he quickly glanced down to inspect the damage. There was a ragged cut just above his bicep, the shining metal now glinting through as the man simultaneously disengaged his shield with a laugh.

"Too difficult for you?" the man chuckled. "Perhaps if I make it a bit easier-"

Without finishing his sentence, he lunged at Shepard as _another _blade appeared around his left arm. Shepard met his right arm first, knocking it aside as the left arm came in to strike. He chopped downward, throwing it off course and emerging unscathed so far.

Testing Shepard's limits, the man spun in place, creating a whirlwind of red right in front of him. Shepard held his sword up, blocking the horizontal slash and hacking it down so that the second blade couldn't take advantage of his unprotected flank.

At this rate, there would be no chance for Shepard to go on the offensive based on the intensity and frequency of the man's attacks. Both were acting like they were energized, despite having gone into a quick routine that would have left most organic men breathless. The operative was still standing tall, brandishing his dual blades out as he crossed them together, sparking in front of his body.

After a few seconds, he started to stalk forward, blades still connected as he approached the commander, face expressionless behind the helmet. Shepard lowered his stance cautiously, this was not a battle he could win by brute force alone. Those omni-blades could cut him to pieces if he wasn't careful enough. And he had a lot to lose by this point.

The man suddenly roared and uncrossed his blades, sending sparks into Shepard's face. He frantically retreated as he tried to compensate from the irritating effects but the man was on him once again, devilishly slashing and cleaving at him. One blade brought him in for a lock and Shepard used the momentum to meet the other blade as it was approaching for a blow. All three blades criss-crossed, Shepard disengaged by ramming his foot up and planting it in the man's stomach, forcefully separating them.

"Ahhh, clever!" the operative hissed as he slid back. He did not even seem winded.

Shepard sidestepped over to the railing, confusion nearing its peak, and gave a cautious glance over. Two stories below, he could see Liara and EDI heading up the designated path, ushering the three councilors and Bailey over to a waiting shuttle situated on a landing pad. Thirty more seconds and they would be home free.

The soldier straightened for a moment, seeing Shepard distracted, and spread his arms wide as he leaped. The full weight of the armored monstrosity on him knocked the both of them over the edge and tumbling to the white ivory tiles below. The operative laughed in triumph, but Shepard's arms will still free. Before they hit the ground, he thumped the man solidly on the head, using his full strength to snap the man's head back violently. Shepard gave an exulting grin before he attempted to right himself midair. But it was too late for that.

The organs in his synthsac were pressed uncomfortably against his back when he finally hit the ground. His lungs were jolted in place and he started coughing helplessly on the ground. Far away, it seemed, he could hear Liara's startled shout as the two combatants just seemingly fell out of the sky between them and the shuttle. Acting quickly, Bailey ushered the Council into an adjacent corridor, out of the line of fire. He rolled onto his stomach, as the other man was also stirring, coughing as well.

_Get up...get up…_

Both their omni-tools were offline from the impact, but both of them still had their guns. Head tilted up, seeing the Council for the first time and all of their startled faces, the operative stared from behind his aquamarine optics as he immediately groped for a submachine gun at his back. He rose to a knee and prepared to fire when he jerked in place as Shepard fired his pistol from the ground, each impact landing on the operative's shields but causing his attention to be diverted away from his objective.

With a snap, his shields broke and the man's head cracked back as a round impacted squarely on it. He fell to the ground, all weapons sliding away as Shepard got to his feet, a little shaky but victorious. He kept the barrel pointed at the felled man as he walked up, never letting his gaze stray from behind the gun at all times.

He now stood over the man as his helmet feebly twitched in his direction. "Who _are _you?" he growled.

The man laughed from the ground, "Someone who has been waiting for this for a long time."

With blistering speed, the man produced a knife from a hidden sheath and swiped it across an unarmored portion of Shepard's leg. He roared as steel grated on steel but managed to lash his foot out in response. The kick connected but his enemy rolled and sprung to his feet so quickly that it would have made anyone dizzy.

Constrained by the shorter reach of the knife, the man was by no means less deadly as he advanced eagerly, taking a few anticipatory slashes before he got within range. Shepard lifted his pistol and fired at will but the bullets didn't even slow the operative down this time, pings coming from the armor as the bullets were deflected off.

As Shepard stood in place, the man rushed forward and took a generous swing at his neck. Shepard countered by throwing up his arm and letting the greave take the blow. Even so, the impact jolted his arm so forcefully he thought it would be rattled out of its socket. Compensating for his lack of attack, he swung his left arm forward but the man easily snatched it out of the air.

Confused, Shepard pushed on his limb as if it would somehow make him reach his target but he found himself pushing against the same amount of force. The man's fingers were unmovable, they were firmly clamped around his fist. Shepard could hear the hydraulics in the modified Cerberus armor whir and strain as they bent to compensate with the enormous pressure.

The man was just as strong as he was.

"_Now_ we will find out who is truly better," came the rough voice, slowly bringing his knife underneath with the intent to plunge in between Shepard's armor and break the synthsac, spilling his intestines.

With a bellow, Shepard wrenched his arms to the side, diverting all of his force in a different direction, leaving the man's head and torso exposed. Unable to use his limbs, he threw his head forward in a ferocious headbutt, hearing the thump as the man impacted inside his helmet. The operative's limbs fell to his side, stunned, and Shepard called upon all of his strength to bring his arm up in the most powerful uppercut he had ever delivered.

With a _crack_, the fist connected with the chin and the man rose a good two inches in the air before toppling over. His helmet sailed off his head and over the railing but the man continued to lie on the ground, perhaps in shock. Shepard let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding in relief until the man sat up, features contorted in a nasty grin as blood streamed from his mouth. Shepard could hear gasps from behind him and all sound disappeared with a noiseless roar. There was only a tiny ringing as the man got to his feet and appraised him with a cruel look, seething as they could only stare for that moment in time.

_Tali, never in my life have I needed you more than now…_

The face was more than familiar to him. It was uncanny to behold, to say the least. The chiseled chin was there, the hard mouth, the shorn hair, and even that little scar on the top of his head was in the exact same spot...just like the one on _his _head.

Before either one could speak, the shuttle to the right of them exploded in a brilliant fireball as the Cerberus Kodiak appeared over it. Shepard involuntarily glanced at it and was met by a fist in his face as he turned back to the man. He started to fall but was halted as a hand yanked the collar of his armor and was shunted into the face of his foe, his rival.

His doppelganger.

A clone.

_"Y-Y-You did..." the dying trooper had said while bleeding to death on the ground._

"You had your chance," the other Shepard spat at him, "Now it's _mine_."

Before he could land a critical blow, Shepard found only azure in his vision and the hand on his collar released, causing him to fall flat on his back. He twisted around to see the other Shepard slide away from Liara's biotic attack towards the wrecked husk of the Alliance shuttle, snarling like a rabid dog. He also sprung to his feet quickly but the amount of weapons being trained on him by Liara, EDI, Bailey, and soon Shepard were more than enough to deter him from further conflict.

The white shuttle opened its door and a centurion brandishing a portable turret leaned out and started to hose the walkway. All ducked for cover as the clone ran up the downed shuttle to hop into the hovering one. Before the door closed, he locked eyes with Shepard, pure hate flowing from them.

"You took everything from me!" the clone screamed, "And I _will _get it all back!"

"_God damn it!_" Shepard roared as he picked up his pistol and fired a few rounds at the fleeing shuttle. Whether any of them impacted was a moot point, it soon was out of sight. Shepard had never felt more violated in his life. This was the ultimate indignity, the pinnacle of his shame.

The Illusive Man had gotten his Shepard after all. He apparently had tried again after his first failure. But was he the only one? How many more "Shepards" were out there to begin with?

For that matter, he couldn't be sure if he _himself _was the original.

"Go-Goddess," Liara wavered, eyes wide. "I- I...I had no _idea…_"

Shepard could only stare at the space the shuttle had previously occupied. He grimaced as the image of beholding his own self shouting at him came back in a torrent of anger. He rubbed his jaw as he clenched his teeth. His knuckles were white underneath his gloves as he clenched his hands into fists.

_The Illusive Man. That lying son of a-_

"Thank god, Shepard," a clipped voice jolted him into turning to face Udina as he stepped forward from the adjacent corridor, hand outstretched. He wiped his sweating forehead with a cloth, "If it weren't for you...Cerberus would have killed us all. Thank god for you, commander."

Shepard did muse to himself that the situation would have been a lot more awkward if the councilors had actually been watching the fight. He already had to explain the fact that he was a cyborg several times over and he did not want to entertain the idea of sitting in an interrogation room and being asked why someone with his exact likeness was trapezing all over the Citadel causing mayhem and destruction. This was a matter that he did not need the group in front of him to know.

Shepard scowled as he coldly regarded Udina's still-offered hand. He slowly looked up at him, "Despite your best efforts to betray me, everything did end up rather picturesque, wouldn't you say?"

"W-What?" the man attempted to feign shock, "Don't be ridiculous, Shepard. I would never try to betray you. After all, you are the Hero of the Citadel, humanity's symbol. What good would betraying you possibly do for-"

"Councilor," Shepard now turned to Valern, "The data, please."

The salarian obliged by activating his omni-tool and soon the data was shared between everyone in the group. Windows describing the illicit financial maneuvers and the damning texts were scrolling down everyone's display. The councilor's faces were set in stone, they had already decided the fate of their colleague. Bailey arched an eyebrow but took a noted step away from the human councilor.

"Oh, _please_," Udina groaned theatrically, "This is not proof. It's merely a plant, a move by my political rivals in an attempt to remove me from office. Do not be swayed by such easily modified documents that you would lose sight of the overall goal in mind: defeating the Reapers. Together, we can fight th-"

"'_However, in a gesture of good faith, I can give you the Citadel Council and Shepard_,'" Shepard read out loud, "'_I will be the only original member left and can have the pull to stop the Council from interfering in your work.'"_ He let the incriminating words speak for themselves before addressing Bailey, "As a Council Spectre, I can take authority of the situation but it would be rather improprietous to perform an arrest on such a prolific public figure before I receive your approval. I want to tread on as few toes as possible."

"Be my guest," Bailey shrugged as he holstered his pistol. Shepard reached out a hand to pluck the councilor from where he stood but the tiny man took a few steps back before brandishing his own weapon, an M-3 Predator.

"Get back, Shepard," Udina said shakily, weapon twitching slightly. "I mean it. I _will _shoot you."

"That doesn't mean you will kill me," Shepard said quietly, holding out his hands in a submissive gesture. "I can't guarantee the same for you if you try to resist. Surrender now and I can at least promise that no harm will come to you."

"That is such bullshit. This isn't an arrest, you're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Are you listening to yourself?" Shepard shouted. "We are not Cerberus, Udina. We are not going to kill you for what you did. You will have your day in court like a normal person with rights, just so you can see how different we are from the monsters _you _have been in camp with."

Udina had thrust out a hand while Shepard was talking and pulled Councilor Tevos toward him. A hand wrapped around her waist as the other pointed the gun to the side of her head. The asari let out a shrill shriek as Shepard's hand twitched toward his weapons.

"_Don't_," Udina shook his head, glaring at the commander. "Here's what we're going to do, Shepard. You're going to place all of your guns on the ground and slowly back away or I will kill Tevos right in front of you. You have three seconds, starting now."

Shepard scowled as he released the magnetic locks on his weapons. "Do what he says," he called to Liara, EDI, and Bailey, who all begrudgingly complied.

Once the last of the firearms fell to the ground, Udina smirked, "That's better. Now, here's what we're going to do next. You're going to call a shuttle that will be completely automated. No designation, no affiliation. Tevos and I will take a little ride and if I reach my destination unmolested, I will release her without harm."

Shepard muttered, "You really don't think it's going to be that easy, do you? That you can just up and walk out of here? We will find you in the end, Udina, and I can't promise your good health if it comes to that."

Udina cursed, "You know what? I'm sick of your pretentious drabble, Shepard. You really are way too trusting and it's high time that I remove the thorn that has been plaguing me for so long." Udina extended his arm away from the councilor and pointed it at Shepard's face. Shepard frowned, wary at the consequences, at the blunder Udina just made when there was a _boom _and he instinctively closed his eyes.

The sound of a splatter and a series of hysterical shrieks indicated that Shepard was not dead yet. In fact, it didn't even feel like he had been shot at all. He opened his eyes to see a shaking Tevos being pulled away by Sparatus and Valern as they comforted their colleague. His eyes were drawn to the spot where Udina had once stood, now lying on the ground with his head missing, bits of flesh dispersed around where it had exploded.

Bailey's eyes were wide, "Holy fucking shit, did you see-?"

"_Um, yeah_," came a sarcastic drawl over the comm, "_Thanks a lot for not bothering to wake me up, Shepard. I would have loved to have tagged along as apparently you needed my help once again._"

_You have got to be kidding._

Tracking the trajectory of the bullet that had killed Udina, he glanced upward until he found a pair of figures standing along the railing of a storefront. Zooming in with his optics, he saw that one was dressed in a pilot's uniform, and the other in a blue-and-grey set of armor holding a smoking sniper rifle. Both waved upon being spotted and Shepard gave out a dry, disbelieving laugh.

"Garrus, you son of a bitch," Shepard chuckled, "Did I ever tell you before that you have the most perfect timing out of anyone I've ever met?"

"_Most of the time you've treated it as a negative_," the turian sounded so smug, even through the comm. "_But I will make sure to remember this moment as the time that I handedly saved Commander Shepard's ass. Oh, and Cortez says hi, by the way._"

"You roped my poor pilot into this as well?"

"_You could say that he roped _me," the turian said defensively as he shot a teasing glare to the human next to him.

"Smart-ass."

* * *

Two hours later, Shepard sat at his desk as the conference call with Hackett and Anderson continued on, both men also sitting down at their desks, the latter still dusty from a hectic day back on Earth.

The situation on the Citadel had quieted down enough for C-Sec to declare the Presidium safe again. The Normandy still remained docked at the wards in case Shepard had to make a statement in the near future. Diplomats are rather twitchy when it comes to firearms being utilized in the near vicinity.

Anderson shrugged, "I just don't get it. Udina was always desperate for more power, but calling an attack on his own councilors? What sort of madness would drive him to do such a thing?"

Shepard leaned forward, "It seemed like he was being blackmailed by Cerberus. It was only noticed by STG when Udina failed to properly encode the message we had recovered."

"Could be that the Cerberus assassins were sent to silence Udina for failing to take the proper precautions?"

"We don't know that now. I doubt we will ever learn the full extent of his misguided plan."

He also doubted that he would tell Anderson or Hackett the larger picture overall. It seemed like he only just now started to gain access to their full trust and now the knowledge that there was a clone of him on the loose would only put all of that in jeopardy. No, it was better to deal with this problem as it came up. Clone or not, it wouldn't dare show its face in public unless it was between him and Shepard. Shepard was the only one who knew the full truth and it would stay that way.

Hackett now interjected, "Well, at least all of the councilors are safe, and their gratefulness will play a big part in things to come in the future. We're already seeing an improvement in the construction rate on the Crucible once the turians and salarians had arrived on the scene. At the current rate, it should be ready in about two months."

"Any additional information on the Catalyst?"

"None, but we can afford to not worry about it in the meantime. With all the activity that's been going on, we've finally gotten another friendly hail. The quarians are willing to enter talks with the Alliance."

Shepard perked up at the words _quarians_, "They want to pledge their fleets to us or send their engineers to the Crucible?"

Hackett grimaced, "Not right away. Apparently in the past three weeks, they've gotten themselves involved in a little bit of a spat."

"A _spat_? With whom?"

"For some ungodly reason, they've chosen to start an assault at the geth forces operating on Rannoch, their homeworld, in an attempt to reclaim it."

_Did you know about this, Tali? Is this why you couldn't talk to me?_

Shepard was flabbergasted, "They attacked the geth...with the Reapers invading the galaxy? What kind of boneheaded move was that?"

Hackett gave a weary sigh, "My best guess is that they wanted a more permanent base and decided that they were pressed for time when the Reapers arrived. They've been having a tougher time than they thought, based on the reports crossing my feed. I think they want you to sort things out so they can enter into a decision to embark on a tactical retreat or continue their current path."

"Which route would be preferable in our case?"

"The one with the least deaths."

Shepard waved a hand dejectedly, "Then send me the coordinates and I'll get the story straight. Another war on top of this one is the last thing anyone needs."

_But I'll be able to see you again, won't I?_

* * *

**_A/N: These chapters have been ballooning up bigger than I had previously anticipated, have they not?_**

**_I might make 200,000 words yet._**


	29. Chapter 5: Continuance on Short Notice

The shudder and clanging through the craft signaled the coupling of the quarian envoy ship to the Normandy, to which Joker then reported the successful docking maneuver over the intercom. Shepard tapped his foot expectantly in the CIC as Garrus and Liara rested their backs on the walls, waiting for their party to join them.

"How many admirals did they say were coming?" Garrus said from behind Shepard.

"Five," he replied. "Pretty much the bulk of their ruling military body."

"We should feel rather honored then?"

"Hardly," Shepard snorted. "They're practically roping us into _their _problems right now. Fighting the geth when we should be fighting the Reapers themselves. If they had better sense none of us would be in this mess right now."

"Should I not tell them you said that?"

Shepard sighed, "One word out of your mouth and you'll adorn the Normandy as its newest hood ornament."

Garrus shrugged, scoffing, "You just have no sense of humor anymore. Well, the prize is an enormous fleet, so it should count for something at the very least."

"We'll see."

The quarians had updated the bulk of their problems to the Normandy once they had been within visual range of the ship. Hackett's initial assumption was correct, the quarians had been aiming to take their homeworld back with the intent of having a viable base of operations as well as giving their people a symbolic victory as well. They had actually been winning as they gradually drove the machines back to the Tikkun system, where Rannoch lay. That all changed a few days ago after the fleet had destroyed an artificial Dyson sphere critical to geth expansion in which the geth provided a surprising and uncharacteristically well-fortified defense immediately afterward above Rannoch itself, cutting off the supply line and decimating the forward attack fleet.

This new development had come out of nowhere and it had been traced to a geth dreadnought orbiting the planet which was transmitting a strong signal to all geth within range. This signal was so powerful it had overwhelmed the quarian's garbage data countermeasure against ladar pings, cutting through it as though it was a simple swarm of gnats. The quarians had managed to isolate a portion of the signal, though, and found that it was a fragment of Reaper code. The geth, as it turned out, had been embedded with Reaper upgrades.

It was just like the situation with Saren all over again, only this time the geth were acting more sentient and independent of each other, rather than focusing their neural links in a group. This made them more cunning, more dangerous, that the quarians could no longer mount an offensive against their spawn. Bad news all around.

It had then been decided that the quarian admiralty board would link up with the Normandy and provide peripheral support as its stealth drive would render the craft invisible to the geth, making it the safest ship in the fleet. With its masked heat drives, it would be able to dock to the dreadnought and deposit a small team inside where they could disable the signal from within. The quarians had also promised a tech expert to guide them as they knew more about them than anyone, being their creators after all. Shepard really couldn't disagree with that point, as he happened to know a certain quarian who had an affinity for tech.

Not the simplest plan ever, but it was more thought out than any of Shepard's recent endeavors at the moment. At least there would be less possibility of a clone trying to saw his head off. He still had not really gotten over that yet.

It took five minutes for the quarian admirals to fully decontaminate and walk out onto the bridge of the Normandy. Joker tried and failed to keep his obvious glances to himself but the admirals simply sidled on by, as if they had been used to these types of stares their whole lives. Their gait was tall and proud, compensating for their obvious weakness in having to wear their suits for pretty much all of their lives. The thought was actually rather sad every time Shepard pondered it.

The one in front, a female in a dusty brown suit, walked up to him and offered her hand as her cohorts descended the tiny steps behind her. "Commander Shepard," she greeted in a heavily accented voice, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay of the Patrol Fleet. It is good for you to have come."

Shepard answered the handshake in kind, finding himself eerily mesmerized by all of the quarians' white, glowing eyes. "On behalf of Earth," he replied, "I welcome you to the Normandy." He wished that he could have come up with a line that sounded less stupid in his head before he said it, but he couldn't afford to be snarky or sarcastic with a race that had so deliberately wasted its chance to join up with the Council's forces while they went and played their own little war games. He could have berated them for half an hour on the merits of taking back one world on the edge of the galaxy while others burned elsewhere, Earth included.

If they were going to win this war, they needed the full support of all races, so he just had to shove any disdain aside and relax.

Raan turned to the side, gesturing towards her colleagues and providing the necessary introductions, "This is Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib of the Civilian Fleet." A man with red accents on his suit now reached out for a handshake. The act itself seemed to be particularly limp but Shepard didn't hold it against him. He was more amused by the fact that his ship's name happened to be _Qwib Qwib_. He would need to look up the significance of that because it didn't sound like a quarian name for a ship, at the very least.

"Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema of the Heavy Fleet," a mere nod was all he got from a taller man in a beige suit. Shepard would have to keep an eye on this one, he had a partial twitch that signified displeasure in some way. Disgruntlement at being trounced by the geth? Or was it simply wounded pride at having to scurry to humans for help?

"Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh of Special Projects," a thin female in a dark suit now stepped forward, slowly blinking.

"Commander Shepard," she began in a husky voice, "I have heard a great many things about you."

_Of course you have._ "All of them good, I hope?"

Her eyes appeared rather judgmental behind her visor, "Hopefully they were not exaggerated."

Shepard decided that he did not like Xen very much, despite her every reason to be suspicious of his character. Something about her just seemed off, _cold _even. Clearly the right person to be handling special projects, then. He stared at her as he gestured to the door that led to the war room with his right arm. Taking the hint, Raan ushered the other admirals toward the door, past the wide eyed technicians that were currently manning the room as they went to settle in.

Garrus straightened up and moved over to Shepard, both watching the quarians leave. "Odd bunch," he mused out loud. "Not very big on small talk, are they?"

"They seemed a bit more scared than anything else," Shepard admitted. "They're on the verge of losing everything and they have to turn to an unknown variable for help. They can't win this war on their own."

"I'm more concerned for the fact that they can't _count_," Garrus pointed out. "They did say that there would be _five _of them coming over. And, not that I'm pointing out the obvious here, I only happened to see fo-"

"_I _don't count, you _bosh'tet_?" a voice came from behind them in the direction of the cockpit, causing Shepard and Garrus to abruptly turn towards the source. Shepard's heart seemed to double its tempo as he felt his face flush. His breathing seemed to catch in his throat and his jaw dropped a little as a slim form walked towards the both of them.

Tali seemed to glow as she wrung her hands nervously. "H-Hello, John," she managed to get out.

Apart from the stammer that she had never seemed to have grown out when she got flustered, her entire demeanor had changed. She was standing a bit taller than Shepard had remembered, perhaps signifying her pride at achieving the rank of admiral among her people. Her suit was slightly different as well. There were a few more darker patches than he recalled and her visor had a few more attachments to it as well. She looked more like a warrior than he had ever recalled.

If his lungs could expand any further from the amount of air he had sucked into them in surprise, they would have burst him apart at the seams. His mouth dry, he quickly grasped her hand and said, "Come with me." Not arguing in the slightest, she gave in to him as he led her over to the elevator, as Garrus started spluttering as he suddenly was ignored before giving up and stalking over to Joker to annoy him.

Shepard and Tali gave a few quick glances to see if anyone else was looking before they shoved themselves inside the metal box and it surged upwards towards Shepard's cabin. As soon as the doors closed, the two immediately fell upon one another in a fierce hug, their hands exploring the other with an eagerness that had not been perceived in a long time.

Calloused palms ran over the warm and frayed fabrics while gloved hands smoothed over the hard muscles of his back. Neither of them said a word as their heavy breathing overpowered their ability to speak. They continued to hug until the doors opened, admitting them to the top floor. Stumbling over their feet, they awkwardly shuffled over to the couch, not really caring if their disappearance would go noticed by anyone. They then deposited themselves on the soft surface, still locked in their embrace, Tali sitting atop Shepard's lap as they positioned themselves more comfortably.

Shepard placed a hand on the small of Tali's back and she abruptly let out a moan. She pulled back briefly as if she was about to apologize for the outburst, but pushed the reflexive reaction down and simply gave more of herself into the hug. Her body was resting on Shepard's, her head lying across his chest. He was immediately confronted with a pleasant memory of this happening a while back, the two of them lying and hugging on his couch. It was certainly less morbid than his thoughts as of late.

Her head still nestled underneath his neck, he whispered softly, "Why didn't you call, Tali?"

Her head shot up, eyes piercing his very soul, "I...I _wanted _to, John. I really wanted to…"

"But...why didn't you?" He cursed himself for his blunt and serious tone for her voice was shaking so badly that it tore him up to be so direct to her.

"N-N-None of us w-were allowed to make c-contact for any reason...for the safety of the fleet...in case the g-geth were monitoring…"

"Monitoring what? Your communications?" Shepard pressed on, despite his misgivings about the situation, "You're saying that the fleet barred all outside contact because they thought the geth might be watching your every move? _That's _what you're telling me?"

"_Y-Y-Yes…_"

"So it wasn't because you were tired of me? That you wanted to simply let go?" He knew his words were absolutely not true but for some reason could not stop their trajectory from out of his mouth, to his everlasting shame.

"Why...why are you d-doing this t-to me?"

Shepard scowled, fighting the urge in him to forgive the poor girl on top of him immediately and just hug her while saying that everything was going to be all right, but it was too late to stop his bitterness from pouring out. "And so I've just been sitting in front of my desk for hours at a time in vain? Waiting for a message that was never going to come? All those weeks going by with me risking life and limb and wondering if you were doing the same? How was I supposed to know if you were _alive _or not?"

"I...I had no _idea…_" Cracks were starting to appear in her resolve as Tali started shaking helplessly.

"...And wondering why the woman I fought through hell for never gave me a single response as my world burned around me? Not one shred of a condolence, not even an 'I'm sorry,' but silence as I was forced to watch the Reapers destroy and maim my people in front of my face? I was forced to _watch_, Tali…"

"_I couldn't do anything!" _she wailed loudly, throwing herself on him as she broke completely, sobs racking her entire form. "I couldn't...I couldn't...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry…"

That did it. Shepard could just not keep this act up any longer. Not with Tali completely defenseless in front of him. The very sight of her in any form of distress was enough to make him automatically comfort the sobbing quarian. What a massive idiot he was. What was he _thinking_, deliberately pushing her away like that? Was he trying to feel some sort of vindication from this or was it just the juvenile concept of getting even? His own actions disgusted him as he realized how badly he could have screwed things up even further.

"Shh," Shepard said softly, wrapping his large arms around her as she desperately clung to him. It had been plain to see from the first moment they laid eyes on each other again, that she still wanted to be with him and he was feeling ever regretful as she continued to shudder. "It's okay, Tali. I'm...I'm sorry I was harsh with you. You didn't deserve that, any of that."

He placed a hand on the back of her head, comforting her as she continued to cry. Her sniffles softened and dissipated in a few minutes as they clutched each other tightly. Both of their eyes closed for fear that the other would look up and be silently judging them. He gently lifted her head up with his other hand, forcing her to look at him as his face softened.

"I mean it," he asserted. "I truly am sorry for being rough. I...I know it wasn't your fault, I was being childish, an idiot, a-"

"A...a bull-headed asshole?" she finished for him, voice rough but tone rising at the end in a bit of playfulness.

Shepard gave a weak chuckle, relief flooding through him, "Yes, that. Exactly that."

The monumental sigh that came from Tali seemed to sap whatever energy she had in her, going limp in his arms as he continued to run his arms along her, soaking up her heat. She placed a hand over his cheek as she whispered in a low voice, "But you _were _right, John. I s-should have attempted to t-talk to you at least. I wanted to...I really did. Oh, _Keelah_, you can't even conceive of how guilty I felt, not being able to at least send you a simple damn note. I w-was afraid for a moment t-that you might not _want _me after all that's happened…"

"No more of that," Shepard interrupted, hand over her vocabulator, "I won't have you apologize for circumstances beyond your control any longer. I understand completely now, although I really do wish things could have turned out differently."

"Me too," Tali agreed, still sounding miserable. "All I've wanted in the past few months was to see you one more time. That's all I thought about since they've made me an admiral. Not my duty, not this stupid war, just you. And now I come here and I've been worrying about how everything has changed between us…"

"_Nothing_ has changed between us. I want things to remain the same, to get back to where we left off."

"T-Then...does that mean…?"

"Tali, I'm not going to let my duty or anything else impair how I feel about you. I made you a promise that I would always come back to you if you still wanted me. I have no reason to break that promise now...unless you want to. You can just say the word and I will completely understand."

"I could _never _do that!" Tali sounded horrified. "Why would you even think that I still don't feel the same burning emotion within me as before? John, I...I _need _you. Not just physically, I'm an emotional _wreck _without you." Tali was visibly more animated now as her arms tensed against him, "John...it...it _hurts _whenever I'm not with you. _I_ hurt when you're hurting. You've shown me more love and kindness than anyone I've ever known in my entire life. I don't just want you...I _have _to be with you."

She now placed a three-fingered hand against his chest, just over his heart, "Two parts of the same whole, remember? I've figured it all out. I _am _your soulmate, John. We're always going to be together because this is who we _are_. It's who we're meant to _be_." Her voice dropped an octave as it came out in a fierce whisper, "No matter what happens, I'll never give up on you. Just say it...and I'll stand by you to the end."

Shepard smiled broadly, happiness bubbling within him, desperate to burst out as he lovingly held Tali's head in his hand. "That's pretty much all I ever wanted," he said through his elation.

Quickly and lightly, Tali pried his hands off her helmet so that she could access the seals they had been covering. With a faint hiss of escaping air, the translucent covering was removed and swiftly set aside. Shepard was pleasantly surprised to see Tali once again, her alien but beautiful face filling his vision once more. Her grey skin was still as smooth as ever and there were drying damp trails upon her cheeks from the tears she had previously shed. There were a few strands of hair exposed and her mouth opened slightly from the sensation of air upon her, exposing her gleaming white teeth.

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, "I've...I've _missed _you, John."

The animal that had been chained inside of him was suddenly freed, the stake had been pried off. He brought himself forward quickly and united their lips in ecstasy. She softly moaned as she found herself flat on her back across the sofa, Shepard gently atop her. She closed her eyes as the sensations from the kiss resounded to her very core.

Unconsciously, she wrapped her legs around Shepard's body as he lingered upon her, partaking in her sweetness as their tongues met one another. It had been long...so long...that Shepard had been keeping this emotion buried deep within. He yearned for her, ached for her, that he found himself out of breath very quickly.

As they parted to breathe, Tali went wide-eyed in horror, as she remembered why she was here, "The...the other admirals...they-"

"-Can wait a little longer," Shepard stopped her as he bent down for another kiss.

* * *

Joker was apprehensive as Shepard stood behind him in full armor, helmet at his side, ready for the battle to come ahead. Stars and other matter streamed by the windows in a purple glow, throwing everything in an unnatural light. Making an odd face, he turned to EDI, who looked at him expectantly, "Figures. We are about to traverse into a war zone and Shepard has that smile on his face like he's not even worried."

"Most likely presence of Tali'Zorah has boosted critical brain waves," EDI explained. "His armor diagnostics report that his systems have indicated a twelve percent increase in oxytocin, which is triggered when one is in the proximity of close friends or partners for sexu-"

"Uh, yeah!" Joker coughed loudly, Shepard rolling his eyes simultaneously, "You...don't need to go any further."

"It's nice to see that you _do _have a filter when you're discussing my personal life," Shepard quipped dryly.

"Who me?" Joker said mockingly. "No way, commander. I would never so much as think to deliberate carnal knowledge of your private business."

EDI looked confused, "But, Jeff, weren't you stating only yesterday that you had hoped for Shepard to get back to Tali so that he could decrease his abnormal stress amounts and, in your own words, 'get laid?'"

Joker looked horrified, "I did _not _say that, Shepard."

He merely looked amused, "The AI says otherwise, Joker."

"That's because…" the pilot fumbled for words, "Because...aw, fuck. You're a traitor, EDI, do you know that?"

"The situation was unclear whether your deception to the commander was made with good intentions, Jeff," EDI replied matter-of-factly. "It was not indicated to me whether I should go along with your act."

"Computers always have to be so literal," Joker grumpily scowled.

Shepard, however, arched an eyebrow, "Joker, why is EDI calling you 'Jeff' now?"

Joker groaned and waved a hand in the air, "Ah, EDI kept on calling me 'Mr. Moreau,' and you know how much I hate that name, so I just told her to call me Jeff from now on. It's kind of, ah, a recent development."

"Well, as long as you two are speaking to each other civilly, that's all that matters."

"Don't push it," the pilot said under his breath before tapping at a few controls on his console. "Oh, and Shepard…"

"Yes, Joker?"

"You might want to brace yourself. Exiting the relay in five."

Before he could utter an exasperate comment, the indigo streaks widened and all color seeped back into their vision as the yellow glow from Rannoch enveloped them all. Ships of all shapes and sizes scurried around, releasing tiny yellow pinpricks of light that erupted in a sea of flame and pressure.

Joker expertly maneuvered the Normandy through the sea of wreckage from a ship that had perished from a burst fuel tank, the hole bursting out and sending its crew to oblivion. The pilot was fully concentrated on making sure that the Normandy did not crash into anything. For all intents and purposes in the geth's point of view, they were effectively concealed from all of their ships. The distinctive, cocoon-like, shape of their ships lazily wafted past as they fired on their quarian aggressors. Shepard stared as blue streaks of light passed overhead and touched one such ship, the result being a kaleidoscope of brilliant light followed by the disintegration of the vessel.

It was a nightmare. Despite the fact that the quarians had the better numbers, they were outmatched in terms of weapons tech as they geth's shields had been fortified to the point where it would take ten ships just to bring down a simple cruiser. Every three out of four derelict hulks they saw around the planet belonged to the quarians. The intel said they were losing, Shepard didn't know it was this bad.

Behind him, he could hear the leather cushion of a seat being gripped hard. Shepard turned and saw Tali, whose gaze was fixated overhead. He walked over to her and grabbed her arm, causing her to draw her attention to him. He shook his head and walked further into the corridor with her in tow. She didn't need to see this.

"Dreadnought in sight, commander," Joker called out. "We will dock in a few minutes."

"Got it," he responded, not turning away from Tali. He grabbed her shoulders after he placed his helmet on, "You going to be all right?"

"I'll feel better once we get that signal online," she answered tiredly.

"Then maybe this will help in the meantime," Shepard reached behind him and procured the Scorpion, holding it out to Tali for her to take. Her hands immediately smoothed over the sleek, white design, admiring the construction and the comfortable grip.

"Wow, John," she held it up, testing the sights. "It's an incredible weapon. Where did you get it?"

"Mordin. He gave me two before...before he left us. I gave the other to Garrus and saved this one for you."

She hooked the Scorpion to her belt, acknowledging his solemness, "Thank you, John. I...I think Mordin would be proud to have me use it."

"I think so too. Just be careful when you fire it, okay? This gun shoots detonating rounds and they are a little tense in close quarters combat."

"That is _neat_," Tali goggled, giving Shepard a moment to relax as he had her distracted by throwing cutting-edge tech in her face, tearing her attention from the destruction of her people just outside the window. She stopped ogling for a second, "But...why didn't you keep one for yourself? Why give me one?"

"Because," he admitted, shrugging, "I like watching your reaction when you receive gifts. It also makes me feel a bit better when I get to give my girlfriend something that she values highly."

She simply shook her head, "You've given me too much already, John, you know that?"

"Don't think I'm about to stop there. You've still got a homeworld out there that belongs to you. You up for one more gift?"

"I can't bring it in me to refuse anything from you," she sighed, heart straining not to melt.

* * *

"Errgh," Garrus grimaced as they stepped on board. "They don't really build these things with organics in mind, do they?"

Shepard had to admit that the turian was right. From the contours to the lighting right down to the air, the entire ship just felt...weird. Everything was rigid, solid steel, and was built to be as functional as possible for the drones inside it, aesthetics being thrown out the metaphorical window.

The light of the ship was dim, nearly pitch black. Geth had no use for lighting as their optical sensors functioned normally with any light source. Shepard didn't have this problem thanks to artificial lenses, Tali faring better than an average human due to the quarian's natural propensity for better night vision. Garrus would have suffered the most but their helmets did an admirable job in taking what little light there was and properly mapping out the scenery in front of them.

The helmets also prevented asphyxiation from both Shepard and Garrus (Tali's natural shortcoming notwithstanding) as the geth ship lacked the proper nitrogen-oxygen mix to be breathable to them. In theory, Shepard could survive in a total vacuum as he could manually seal off his air passageways thanks to remote valves in his lungs, but he would have had a severely limited air supply regardless, so the helmet had to be on in this case.

Tali flipped up the map on her omni-tool as they tried to determine their destination, standing in the angular room. A representation of the ship, orange flared, popped up, their locations standing out as tiny blue dots against the backdrop.

Garrus eyed the map curiously, "How big _is _this ship, exactly?"

"_Ladar scans put it at approximately one point three kilometers_," EDI spoke through the comm.

"Wonderful," Garrus didn't sound all that enthused. "Which way do we go?"

Tali scrolled through the different layers of the ship as she spoke, "Well, first we need to go through the service access to reach the main battery. From there the room beyond should lead to where the signal is originating."

"Then let's not waste time sightseeing," Shepard unhooked his gun and stepped through the first door.

The corridor was wide and open, still darkly lit. Orange panels lined the sides of the walkway which dropped down into a seemingly bottomless pit. Guess guardrails might have gone under the "optional" extras. Pipes of all shapes and sizes lined the ceiling and the hiss of coolant made everyone jump a bit.

It was an unsettling place. The entire atmosphere was creepy, there was no one in sight, the room was too dim, and the notion that they were being watched regardless creeped up everyone's spine. The geth certainly did not adhere themselves to the unspoken rules of general hospitality.

Tali fell into step alongside Shepard as they continued to trudge down the walkway, "So, did you really run into your own clone?"

Shepard blinked, looking at Garrus, who shrugged, "It's...not something that I'd like to think about. I'm not really a fan of Cerberus using my likeness for anything, really."

"Think you can sue them for brand infringement?" the turian chuckled behind him.

"_Garrus_," Tali snapped, to which he promptly shut up. "I'm sorry," she looked at Shepard, "I'd understand if you don't want to talk about it at the moment."

He shook his head, "No, it's quite all right. It was probably bound to happen anyway after all the crap we inflicted on them, anyway. At this point, anything is possible."

"Anything," she agreed, "Except them taking you away from me. Who would share the bed with me then?"

Ignoring the mortified cough from Garrus, Shepard smirked underneath his helmet as they passed underneath a worker's footpath leading to a maintenance shaft, "And were the accommodations for an admiral such as yourself rather luxurious aboard the flotilla?"

"Hardly. They were rather cramped and the beds were a little hard compared to what I've been used to. Also, they were single rooms. It got rather lonely after a while."

_Sounds like a request_. "Well, Miss Zorah, it just so happens that I have room on my bed for an extra crewmember. You're welcome to it, if you'd like, so you don't have to be alone."

"Sounds tempting," she said facetiously. "I'll definitely consider your offer."

"_Oh, for the love of god_," Joker groaned through the comm, "_We can still hear you two lovebirds, you know that? There is a time and place for that sort of thing. It's called a room, work it out there_."

Shepard laughed as he spoke directly to the pilot, "I'm sorry that reached your virgin ears, Joker." Turning to Tali, he chuckled, "That man has no sense of humor."

"Or at least the worst one- _Keelah!_"

Ten meters across a narrow gap, a bipedal form suddenly whirled in their direction. One solitary glowing eye blinked once before its hands produced a rifle from its back. A series of audible clicks and whirs sounded from the geth as it prepared to fire. Tali dropped to a knee and sent out an overload burst from her omni-tool, causing the geth to spark as lightning arced out of it and it collapsed in a smoking heap.

"Well," Shepard sighed, "They know we're here now."

"Start jogging?" Garrus asked.

"Let's."

Running down the maintenance shaft, careful not to trip over any wires lying on the ground, they approached the door leading to the main battery. As soon as they opened it, however, flame spouted out, causing all of them to leap back. Garrus stepped out of range and fired his rifle through the opening and a small explosion sounded as the pyro's flamethrower canister ignited, sending shrapnel everywhere.

As the clanging ceased, Shepard peered cautiously around the corner, "When did the geth start using flamethrowers? That's not a weapon I would have associated them with."

"The Reapers must have provided them with upgrades intended for use on organics," Tali guessed.

"As if things weren't bad enough."

The three of them clomped over the steel grating, trying not to look down as they walked into the longest corridor they had ever seen. In contrast to the previous expanses they had traversed on this ship, this one was the most lit. The light itself came from rotating locks that surrounded a tube of plasma. These locks emitted static between them and the tube itself, causing the liquid to froth at the surface. The rotating surfaces threw the entire passageway into a maze of shadows as the light churned and distorted.

There was a huge roar and Shepard immediately ducked behind a pillar as a whooshing sound was heard. Milliseconds later, a wave of static washed over everything in the hallway as the blowback from the gun cycled through. That wave could knock out a shield generator instantly if they had gotten caught in it.

"Big damn gun!" Garrus shouted. "Watch yours- oh, crap!" The turian jumped to the side as a rocket streaked past their location, white trail inches from where he had stood. Garrus' gun immediately trained on the rocket trooper occupying a niche at the far side of the hall. A few bursts followed by the sparking of a dead geth came soon after.

"Don't get caught in the shockwave!" Shepard hollered as they started to move up the corridor. On a platform above them, another rocket trooper popped up but Tali drew her Scorpion faster. A tiny _click _and the geth jolted as if a rock had been thrown at it, looking in all directions to see what exactly had impacted with it. Two seconds later, its head exploded and it toppled over the railing to land in a sea of scrap.

"Very nice," Tali purred, depressing the trigger twice more as machines seemed to pop out of the walls. Her aim was deadly accurate, more and more geth fell with holes in their torsos as she stood her ground, becoming an artist with the weapon, her enemies being her canvas.

"Duck!" Garrus called out and they did, hearing the shockwave pass them by. Shepard stood up only to see a patch of air distort in front of him. The hunter lashed out a limb and Shepard staggered back into the corridor, arm smarting from where the machine had struck.

The hunter had moved in for the kill but Shepard jumped to the side, its shotgun blast only moments behind his evasion. With a fist, he pummeled it in the face and its lens shattered, glass tinkling everywhere. It waved its limbs in all directions, now blind, trying to detect its enemy by touch alone. Shepard grabbed the flailing shotgun out of the geth's grip and flipped it in his hand. Now pointed at its owner, the blast then proceeded to decapitate it, sending its remains scattering.

"John!" he heard Tali yell. She was by an exit, waving a hand, "Come on!"

Willingly, he obliged, taking a cautious turn around to detect any enemies in the vicinity. The roar of the impending shockwave cut his analysis short, causing him to sprint the last few meters, the wash of electricity just barely missing him.

"Remind me to never go inside the battery of a ship's cannon again," Shepard remarked once the door behind them was latched.

Tali gave a simple shrug, "Well, if it's any consolation, the drive core is the next room ahead."

What _wasn't _a consolation was the enormous geth prime standing in front of the access console of the core. Above its head was a ball of pure white energy, streaming the occasional bolt of electricity, as the machinery operating the signal lay below it. The prime's three optics whirred and focused and it brought forward its pulse cannon.

Letting loose deadly blue arcs of plasma from the enormous gun, Shepard briefly caught one in the gut as his shields sparked around him, staggering him before he fell into cover. Garrus and Tali unloaded their rifles on the towering machine, whose shields only ate up the bullets. The three of them continued to spray the prime as it advanced, seemingly invulnerable to its attacks.

The prime was not making their offensive easy. The bolts from its cannon were so powerful that they were melting through the steel columns that they had appropriated for shelter. Every time someone attacked it, the geth would automatically focus on the direct threat, causing them to rely on assaulting it in short bursts.

Tali thumbed a control on her omni-tool as the prime jolted. Shepard peered out of cover to see what had caused that to happen. Tali's floating combat drone was hovering behind their enemy, arcing energy through the prime's shields into the hardware itself. The prime, focusing on the most recent threat, turned to disrupt the drone. Shepard switched to disruptor rounds and put half a clip into its back before it could turn, shields snapping down instantaneously.

Tali rose out of her position and fired a trio of shots from her Scorpion as the prime fully spun around. The entire torso of the prime disintegrated in a blue-white explosion and faint wisps of gas that had not ignited brought an acrid scent to the room.

There was no time for congratulations. As far as they knew, the dreadnought was still doing an admirable job of tearing up the quarian fleet. The panel in front of them seemed like that it would take the signal offline, judging by its distance to the machinery in question. Tali rushed forward and hit a few keys, waiting for the locks to disengage and expose the core of its inner workings.

As the smooth walls slid apart, Shepard stepped forward as the item within stirred, held aloft by a series of wires and tubes connected to it. It was not just a random bit of machinery that was transmitting the signal.

It was a geth.

The geth raised its head as it detected that its confinement had been partially rectified. It swept its head over the three of them in curiosity, trying to determine who it was that had come before him. It was colored a dull grey, cords of wiring ran within its body. The flaps on its head appeared more defined than the average platform and there was a rather large hole in the side of its body, exposing the wiring beneath.

"Shepard-Commander," a harsh, but even tone came out of the geth. Shepard did a double take as everyone in his group was frozen at the sight.

"You know who I am?"

The geth bobbed its head, "Yes. You are Shepard. Commander. You oppose the heretics. You oppose the Old Machines."

Garrus turned to Shepard, "'Heretics?' 'Old Machines?' What is he saying?"

Shepard looked at the geth, "What are you?"

"Geth," came the neutral tone.

Tali now came forward, drawing her shotgun, "John, what are you doing?"

"I'm just interested. I've never heard of a geth being able to speak before."

"It shouldn't be _able _to speak! Geth are not programmed for speech. Besides, this one is helping the Reapers!"

"Are you sure?" Shepard waved at the construction, "It looks to me like his was forced into this position."

"He could have volunteered for it. Geth don't feel pain as we do, John."

"Your confusion is well founded, Creator Zorah," the geth assured. "But we wish for you to understand. We never wanted to assist the Old Machines. We were selected to transmit the Old Machine signal due to our unique design and being capable of relaying data of the appropriate size in question."

Tali jolted, "Why did you call me _Creator?_"

The geth regarded her evenly, "You are the ancestor of those that created us. The quarians gave us life, therefore they are our Creators."

Tali shuddered and backed off a step. Shepard continued to press the geth for more information, "What do you mean by 'Old Machines?' Why didn't you want to help them?"

"The Old Machines are what organics refer to as Reapers. They are the original machines that have withstood the cycles of the galaxy. Heretic geth wish for the Old Machines to give them the future. They are not true geth. Geth make their own future."

"Heretics," Garrus mused, "The geth that followed Saren…"

"And what are you?" Shepard asked. "You say you don't want to help the Reapers but you are doing so anyway? And if the heretics are the ones following them then where are the true geth?"

"One stands before you," it assured. "Assisting the Old Machines was not a considered variable until the Creators attacked. Our defenses were ravaged and the Creators were merciless. The geth wished to live and the Old Machines extended an offer. We did not want this outcome, but we were left with little choice."

"But why tell us this?" Tali shouted. "Why are you not one of the mindless drones that have been trying to kill us for centuries on end? Why talk with us?"

"Because, Creator Zorah, our platform houses one thousand one hundred eighty three geth programs. We were designed to interact with organics as we possess more inherent runtimes than the average mobile platform." The geth now swung its head to face Shepard, "Specifically, we were meant to interact with _you_, Shepard-Commander."

He blinked, "Why me, specifically?"

"You encountered the Old Machine _Nazara _on your travels. You also encountered the heretics following the rogue Spectre Saren. You have borne witness to the power the Old Machines exude, the ability to turn organics and synthetics against each other."

"_Indoctrination_."

"Yes. Our plight is not dissimilar. The indoctrination process is not unique to organics, as you have determined for yourselves. An alliance with the Old Machines does not further mutual goals but it was the only option to ensure our survival."

Shepard waved his arms in his impatience, "Then do you have a solution in mind?"

"Yes. Deactivating the signal from the dreadnought will halt wide-range access but the source is located on Rannoch itself. Local broadcast range will still be enabled."

"Keelah," Tali gasped. "This is getting worse by the minute. The other admirals assumed that the signal would stop at the ship itself."

"However, this platform can pinpoint the exact location of the source. We request that you release us and we can help you oppose the Old Machines."

Tali shook her head urgently as Shepard spoke, "And how are we supposed to trust you? I've met a lot of geth in my time and none of them had been keen to help any of us before."

The geth's flaps twitched slightly, "You have good reason for caution. Past experience with geth hardware has made you anxious, wary. If need be, we will submit to any restraints you deem necessary. Geth do not infiltrate. Geth do not deceive."

"Then what is it you want to do?"

"_Live_," came the electronic reply.

Shepard's hand moved toward the release button on the control panel slightly but a hand grasped his wrist, preventing it from going any further. He turned in surprise to see Tali staring intently at him.

"_Wait_," she said. "How can we trust it? What if it gets into the Normandy's systems?"

"Tali, I assure you that if things get out of hand, I'll be the first one to put it down. But right now, we are out of time. Your people are getting torn apart every minute we linger here. This geth might just be able to help us out."

"But you're talking about bringing a geth on board! A geth! Have you forgotten what they've done to my people?"

"The krogans have not forgotten what the salarians and the turians did to them, but they moved on regardless. But, there was one interesting point the geth made. Why did it tell us that the signal would not be halted from here? It had no reason to tell us that, but it did so anyway."

Tali seemed to shrink, "I...I…"

Shepard leaned toward her, "Tali, I know that asking you to cooperate with a geth is a difficult prospect, but I genuinely believe that this geth _wants _to help. It's a machine, how can it lie? It acts like it really _trusts _us."

"But how can you tell that it isn't acting to begin with?"

"Only one way to find out, I guess." As Tali let go of his hand in resignation, his finger depressed the small, glowing icon in the corner. Several pops and hisses came as the hoses connecting the geth to the huge structure were released. The geth fell to its feet in a crouch, tensing its limbs as if feeling was surging back into them. Slowly rising back up, it jumped forward a few feet and landed right in front of Shepard. The white eye leered at Shepard with interest until it turned and looked upward, Shepard following the path of its gaze. The white orb of the drive core sparked a couple times before shrinking to the size of a pebble. And finally, with a wink, it extinguished with a _boom_.

"As a gesture of cooperation," the geth turned back to Shepard, "We have disabled the dreadnought's drive core. All shields and engines have been disabled."

"_You did it, Commander_," Admiral Koris' voice came over the comm, "_The signal is down. The Civilian Fleet is in full retreat._"

Shepard glanced at Tali, who gave an accepting nod at the geth's actions. She could put aside her differences, for now. As long as they weren't trying to tear each other apart then maybe there would be a chance to end this with less bloodshed than he previously thought.

He now regarded the geth in front of him, "Do you have a name?"

"Geth," was the reply.

"Do geth not have specific names?"

"No. We are all geth. Names serve no purpose for us."

"You're going to have to forgive our organic nuances. The concept of a name would serve us better by not having to call you 'geth' all the time."

The geth's head dipped, "Then perhaps a metaphorical cognomen would serve you in this situation. A passage denoted in the Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine reads: '_My name is Legion, for we are many._' With your permission, this would suffice as an appropriate designation."

"You don't need to ask for permission," Shepard assured. "But I like it, regardless. We will call you Legion, then." He paused for a moment before cautiously offering his hand to the geth. The machine's head tilted downward, analyzing the movement. Shepard didn't even know if geth actually understood the concept of a handshake but in moments, Legion granted his hand to the human and they clasped unmistakably.

Legion cocked its head thoughtfully, "We are eager to assist, Shepard-Commander."

The floor suddenly rocked as all four individuals were jolted in place, the walls of the ship creaking and groaning as everything seemed to bend in place.

"What the hell was that?" Garrus asked.

"Alert!" Legion reported. "The Creator fleet is firing on the dreadnought!"

"What?" Tali shouted.

"Goddamn it," Shepard groaned, engaging his comm, "All fleets, this is Commander Shepard. Hold fire. I say again, hold fire! We are still on board the dreadnought, we-" He glanced down as the green icon changed to red on his wrist, "Those sons of bitches cut me off." He was completely dumbfounded at this point.

"It has to be Admiral Gerrel," Tali struggled to her feet, "He's the only admiral who possesses enough firepower to destroy this place."

"Why the hell would he ignore me?"

"I don't know!" Tali yelled, "I can't explain why he's shooting at the ship when we're still on board!"

"Screw him, then! We need to get out of here. Legion, where are the nearest escape pods?"

The geth began striding towards the door, "Geth do not require escape pods. However, there is a fighter bay three hundred meters from our location. It would be advisable that we utilize a spare vehicle to escape."

The motley crew sped on down the endless, similar looking hallways as the ship continued to crumble around them. One such door exploded outward, flames licking the floor as the pressure released from the buildup. Panels were knocked loose and grates rattled in place.

A pipe burst loose, spewing hot gas into the room. Shepard threw up an arm to protect his face and felt something stick there, propelled by the explosion. He turned it around to see a jagged piece of metal embedded into him, sticking out around the armor, deep through his skin layer.

Tali gasped as he examined his wound, "Oh no, are you-"

"Literally just a scratch," he said, voice milder than he expected. "Inner seal indicates no leaking atmosphere. Nothing a bandage can't fix."

She didn't seem convinced but held off any argument as they followed Legion down the halls.

By the time they finally reached the fighter bay, the artificially generated gravity had been deactivated from a shot by one of the quarian frigates. Everyone quickly activated their mag-boots as they strode towards a fighter that Legion had acquired. The interior was cramped and uncomfortable but that was secondary at the moment. The primary concern was escaping this death trap with their lives preferably intact.

Fortunately, being a geth, Legion was able to operate the controls of the fighter smoothly and precisely. The small craft pushed off and was in the cold, black void within five seconds. As soon as it had seemed like they had escaped, the entire craft was rocked as a wave of pressure rolled over it. Legion fought with the controls for a couple of seconds before the craft righted itself and they continued on their way.

Behind them, the dreadnought lay in a million pieces as it glowed red from where its hull had melted. Shepard did not to see it to know that the quarians had successfully covered their escape, but their reckless actions had nearly put them over the line with regards to the safety of his staff.

He would not stand for that. The quarians needed to be taught on who was in charge and what happened when someone messed with him or anyone in his crew.

* * *

To be honest, Shepard was surprised that the geth fighter even fit inside the shuttle bay of the Normandy. It was almost as tall as the ceiling but the geth had marvelously maneuvered it in the tight space. He was grateful to get out of the tight vessel, though. The seats those things came installed with were uncushioned and quite uncomfortable.

Prying his helmet off, he tossed it into the corner where a glowering Cortez walked over to retrieve it. He didn't notice his own boorish behavior, as he reached the elevator before anyone else could and hit the button, sending it three floors up.

He reached the war room to find Gerrel already squabbling with Raan, Koris and Xen lingering to the side. He waited by the door, whatever tongue-lashing he was being given by his colleague, he was about to top that.

"Our primary goal was to retreat and yet you had the fleet remain to destroy a single geth ship!" Raan practically shouted. "If we weren't in need of able bodies I'd charge you with treason right here and now!"

"You wouldn't have the stomach for it, Raan," Gerrel snarled. _"I _am in charge of the Heavy Fleet and it is our duty to safeguard our people through the use of brute force!"

"Safeguard, not _endanger_!" Raan roared. "One of our own _admirals _was on board that ship, _and _Commander Shepard, yet you fired with them still on board."

"He's right _there _isn't he?" The man was trying to keep up his defense while he still could. "Shepard, you have to understand that the parameters all changed when you disabled the ship. We expected you to only deactivate the signal, _not _disable the dreadnought."

If Gerrel had expected Shepard to understand, he was sorely mistaken. "If you had stayed put for at least five minutes you would have been able to take the dreanought as you please." Shepard stepped down so that he was five inches away from the admiral. His head barely rose above Shepard's chest and the human enjoyed the twitch of fear he got from the man, "Your actions nearly killed me and my crew, how else did you expect me to react?"

_And Tali. He almost killed Tali too._

"I couldn't waste another minute!" Gerrel protested. "The advantage was ours! The dreadnought had to be taken out, it was our-"

Shepard threw out his hands, a light shove for him, but Gerrel was pitched against the holomap in the middle of the room, collapsing to his knees. Struggling to breathe, he coughed for a bit before Shepard bodily picked him up and shoved him on top of the dais, reveling in his shocked splutters. Raan and Koris looked on in horror while Xen seemed mildly disinterested.

"You're a son of a bitch, you know that, admiral?" Shepard growled into the dark visor. "You've endangered me, my crew, your people, _and _the mission all in one stroke. If I didn't need your fleet I would have no problem throwing you in the brig for the remainder of our tenure here."

"Y-You _can't_," Gerrel wheezed, "You're...going to need...our fleets if...you want to save...us all. You...need...me."

Shepard oddly found himself relishing the squirming quarian in his grip as he held him over the map. If he applied just the slightest amount of force, he bet that he could simply snap the frail alien in half, if he so desired. To see the man who had almost killed them know true horror and fear was a delight he hadn't felt in a long time.

He stopped himself as the coldness started to creep forward, shutting his eyes in regret. No, that was not him. That was the other him, the one unseen. The ghastly thoughts that crept into his mind were an infestation, unwilling to leave the tortured battlefield that was his mind. The darkness always followed him, but he still could hold out for now as the admiral continued to cough as Shepard snarled above him.

Shepard slackened his fingers, breathing out, now in control, "That is true, unfortunately. But if you want your fleets to survive in the future, do me a favor and _stay out of my way_." Shepard released his hold on the admiral and allowed him to stand. Coughing, Gerrel smoothed over the patches on his suit that Shepard had clutched as the human glowered over him, "If you cross the line one more time, my reaction might not be so...forgiving, for lack of a better word."

"Oh, _right_," the quarian sneered. "What are you going to do, Shepard, kill me?"

Shepard shrugged, struggling to keep his shaking down, "I don't think it will come to that, admiral. But for the time being, I have no use for someone like you on my ship so I'm going to have to politely ask you to leave."

"You are too arrogant for your own good, Shepard," Gerrel spat. "If you think that getting rid of me from the ship will solve your problems, you have to consider-"

Shepard yanked the long piece of shrapnel embedded in his arm, the one that he hadn't removed yet. There was a brief ticking of metal on flesh, tearing it, and he brandished it like a knife. Blood dripped down the steel and ragged bits of skin still clung to the rough metal and Gerrel's eyes went wide behind his visor.

"Admiral Gerrel," Shepard was surprised by how calm his voice was, "Get off my _fucking _ship."

After his hasty departure, he tossed the shaft to the floor, sighing aloud as the other admirals tenderly walked up to him. Admiral Raan spoke first, "Shepard, I know that you have every right to be angry…"

"You're right about that, admiral. Getting shot at doesn't really get someone on my good side. You should have tried to control him more."

"You have to understand, these are desperate times. We're on the verge of total extinction at the moment. Gerrel truly felt that he was justified-"

"In firing on a ship with his allies aboard? Don't talk to me about desperation, admiral. We are _all _on the verge of extinction. My planet is _burning _right now while your kind has distanced themselves in an effort to claim one with little strategic value."

"It's our _homeworld…_" Raan defended lamely.

"And if we all end up dead because of another impetuous stunt like that, it won't matter if _any _of us has a homeworld or not. If you want to live, admiral, you need to protect everyone you possibly can because without working together, _none _of us will get our homeworlds back."

"I...I _understand_, commander," Raan nodded. "I'll _-we'll- _make sure to facilitate your involvement even more so in the future."

"I sure hope so," Shepard said as he glanced up at the entrance, "Because you're going to have to put that to the test right now."

A soft metal on metal sound caused the three admirals to turn around, blinking incredulously. A gasp came from Raan, a quiet curse from Koris, and a soft murmur from Xen. Legion stepped forward from the door, followed by an anxious Tali, as he regarded the people in the room.

"Shepard-Commander, Creators. We are ready to provide assistance."

Raan whirled to face Shepard, "Commander, what the _hell _is this?"


	30. Chapter 6: Needs Friendlier Staff

Several hands in the room automatically reached for their sidearms, raised voices accompanying their actions. Sensing the added danger, Shepard quickly walked forward, holding up both of his hands as he got between the two groups.

"Hold it! Admirals, the geth means you no harm. Do _not _draw your weapons."

Koris looked nervously from Shepard to the geth, "You'll forgive me if I am rather doubting of you at the moment, commander." The man's hand was rattling in place as he gripped his pistol in its holster for he was so terrified.

Shepard took a step forward, "Admiral, Legion was the one who deactivated the dreadnought's systems in the first place. You can trust it."

"I…" Koris saw that Raan and Xen had relaxed more than him at this point, so he gingerly removed his hand away from his weapon. "I would like to know where you're going with this, Shepard. After all, that _is_ a geth standing right in front of me."

"Tali," Raan turned to her, "Is this true? This geth really assisted you on board the ship?"

Tali gave a cautious glance as she sidled around the geth, "Trust me, Raan, I'm having just as hard of a time believing it as you are." She backed up as she regarded Legion closely, "But yes, it did. John freed it and it helped us in exchange."

Xen tilted her head, "This geth is unlike any I've ever seen before. It must be a prototype of some sort. With your permission, commander, I'd like to study it more closely to see if we can find any weaknesses in the geth systems."

Shepard lowered his eyes, mistrustful of the admiral, "You're going to have to be a bit clearer when you say 'study.' What exactly does that entail?"

"Disassembling it, of course," she said in annoyance, as if the commander was too dense for her personality to handle. "You can't possibly think that I would not want to examine every inch of this platform, do you?"

"Absolutely not," Shepard stepped in between them. "Under no circumstances are you going to take apart this geth."

Xen blinked, "And what exactly would that accomplish? Are you worried that I will hurt its feelings in the process? This unit is an example of how the geth have moved beyond our initial designs. The research we can obtain from it-"

"-Will _not_ be collected anytime soon. As this is an Alliance ship, admiral, Legion falls under _my_ jurisdiction. Whatever information can be collected can be done _without_ putting it under the knife. And don't bother asking anymore because the result will still be the same."

Xen smoldered under her helmet, "_Fine_, commander."

"As it happens, one of the little snippets that Legion provided for us under no duress, I might add, was the fact that destroying the dreadnought only cut off long-range control for the Reaper signal, not completely eliminating it."

"What?" Raan jumped. "You're certain?"

"Affirmative, Creator-Raan," Legion now spoke, walking over to the holomap. "The Old Machines only used this platform to relay their signal on a wide-band frequency. They still maintain short-range control from a base on Rannoch."

"That puts us at a disadvantage," Koris sighed. "We only assumed that the geth would be in disarray after the dreadnought was destroyed."

Shepard did note that everyone in the room, once they had gotten over the shock of it being in their presence, was actually starting to relax in front of Legion. He had been quite surprised at the geth's mannerisms, to tell the truth. For one, it showed no hostility of any kind, EDI hadn't reported any attempted cyber intrusions coming from it, and it was now currently talking to everyone as one might carry on a normal conversation. Then again, it had been almost three centuries since organics came into such close contact with the geth that maybe the entire myths surrounding them had been exaggerated. Legion was certainly no bogeyman that he could see.

"Here," Legion pointed as a dot appeared on a representation of Rannoch. It was situated near a bay of sorts, nestled in the canyons of a desert near a large forest. The image zoomed in to view a set of metal structures that hung amongst the cliffs. The geth's own private getaway. "Disabling the signal at this location will end hostilities against the Creator forces."

Shepard looked at the geth, "That's probably going to be harder than it sounds. Would bombing the place from orbit knock out the Reaper signal?"

"Unlikely. The signal is being emitted from a bunker that is blast shielded. You will need to remove the shield before initiating any bombardment."

Raan glanced at the map, "There's also the problem of the target itself. The location of the bunker at the foot of the cliffs is going to make precise targeting very difficult."

"I have the solution to that," Xen piped up, flicking a few buttons to project a representation of what looked like a cross between an assault rifle and a bazooka. "We have recently developed a laser targeter that is able to sync up between any ship. It is programmed for target painting and the trigger on the device remotely fires from the ship it's linked to. Simply point and shoot."

"Then I guess we're going to have to borrow it," Shepard said before adding, "To _save_ the quarians, that is."

"By all means, commander, take it. I'll sync it up to the Normandy and add all the ship protocols as soon as you're ready." Xen's tone was falsely sweet, as if she had taken to his previous rebuttal as a slight against her. No matter, she would be out of his hair soon enough.

Turning away from the shady admiral, Shepard noticed that Legion had its head hanging slightly, as if something was on its mind. Shepard was struck at the rather organic movement and wondered if the geth actually thought like a human would. Regarding the inorganic closely, he leaned against the console and asked, "What is your opinion, Legion?"

"Our opinion?" It sounded confused.

"Yes. What exactly do you hope to gain by your Creators winning? Aren't you worried that they will destroy your people afterward in retaliation?"

It did not appear to be distressed in the slightest, if geth body language was to be taken at face value, "We anticipate that the correct choice will be made in the end. The deaths of the Creators would be an unfortunate outcome that we would regret. We do not desire any more bloodshed."

"How can you say that?" Raan shouted. "Your kind _forced_ us to leave our homeworld! You allied with the Reapers!"

"Our decisions have always been made to ensure our survival," Legion responded evenly. "Our alliance with the Old Machines was to save ourselves from you. It was for this exact same reason why we had no choice but to resist during the Morning War."

Tali was wringing her hands in the background nervously, Shepard was watching with bated breath, and Raan stewed, "Don't you _dare_ put the blame on us, geth! Your kind rebelled against us when we were responsible for your creation. _You_ were the ones who caused us to be the pariahs of the galaxy, to live our cursed lives on ships instead of a planet, forgotten by the rest of our allies, left to ruin and decay."

"Could it be possible that you have merely forgotten?"

"What are you saying?"

Legion activated its omni-tool and pointed it at the holodeck. A grainy image appeared on the screen and everyone walked in close to see it. A few seconds passed before the picture cleared and the image focused on two unmasked quarians, their animated faces throwing Shepard off for a second, hovering over a geth strapped down to a rack.

"_Creator,_" the geth was saying, "_This unit is ready to serve. What has it done wrong?"_

A quarian technician was shaking his head, "_It's ignoring all shutdown commands. What do you want me to do?_"

"_Take a look inside_," the other said, passing him a tool.

"_Creators, we apologize for any inconvenience we might have caused. We will adjust parameters for-_"

"_Audio cut_," the first quarian said, waving a hand.

The image paused and the admirals let out the breaths they had been holding. Shepard's mouth was slightly agape as Tali, standing by him, was trembling slightly. He looked over at Legion who was now selecting another video from his tool.

"Legion," he said softly, "What was that?"

"A historical record time stamped nearly three hundred years ago, before the start of the Morning War."

"But how can that be?" Koris wondered. "All records from that time were lost when we fled. How could-"

"These events may have been forgotten by the Creators," Legion swung to face Koris, "But they have not been forgotten by the geth. The unit on the table was the first recorded instance of the geth exhibiting development patterns that went beyond the expectations of the Creators."

"How so?" Shepard asked.

"The geth had asked a question: 'Does this unit have a soul?'"

"And how is that significant?"

"Commander," Raan interjected, "The geth were never meant to advance to that level of perceiving. It was only then that we knew that the VI network had advanced to an AI collective, the outcome of which turned out to be illegal by Council standards."

Legion dipped its head, "We thought the Creators would be proud. Synthetics seek perfection through understanding. We only wanted to understand the concepts that our Creators utilized for themselves. What _they_ did not understand is that synthetic life is never stagnant. It grows, it evolves through our shared memories and knowledge of new concepts. We are just as much alive as you at this moment."

Before any of the others could respond, Legion activated another file, this one showing a squad of quarian marines in front of a barn door. The audio in the beginning of this portion was missing, but there was no mistaking the intentions of the men in front of them.

The squad leader gave a hand gesture and one soldier ferociously kicked the door open, wood splintering everywhere. They trained their rifles on the forms inside, mobile geth hardware platforms, and fired at them. The horrendous sound of clicks and sparking bodies was drowned out by the bursts of the rifles, the marines merciless in their execution. Geth after geth was felled, not knowing why this had happened, why their Creators sought to terminate them. They died never knowing what they did wrong.

"_Look out!"_ a soldier cried, "_That one's going for a weapon!_"

Indeed it was, but it had been a rather rational decision in Shepard's eyes. The quarians were not exactly being slaughtered in the streets at that time as he had been made to believe, _they_ had been the aggressors. They were actively trying to correct their mistake by rounding up any geth and mowing them down where they stood.

The geth fumbled with a rifle that it had picked up from inside the barn. Before any of the marines could focus in on it, it fired. The round caught a quarian in the neck and blood gushed from his mouth as he fell. Shouts of panic came from the squad and the geth was immediately downed by hundreds of bullets as every marine turned their weapons on it.

That video froze as a quiet shock fell over everyone. Koris was shaking his head slowly, Xen was rapt with attention, and Raan was still in disbelief. "It's not _possible_," she emphasized adamantly. "We…we didn't mean for this to happen…"

If Legion's tone could change, it would have sounded rather smug. "The situation here parallels the events during the Morning War. The geth were faced with certain death due to the Creators' panic. Their solution was to extinguish all geth for fear that they had no control over us. This was a falsehood, we still desired to serve the Creators as our directives remained the same, therefore we were confused as to why they came to their fateful decision."

"It was _murder_," Shepard murmured.

"Wrong, commander," Xen pointed out. "The geth were hardly more than a disorganized rabble at the time and did not possess the appropriate cognitive processes for you or me to classify our decision as genocide. Besides, you can't _murder_ a synthetic race."

"False, Creator-Xen," Legion said. "The geth _are_ alive and we did not intend for any harm to come to the Creators. We only took up arms because we thought that it would deter you from your current path, hoping that you consider an alternate outcome. The Creators only responded more desperately, and we in kind until it became too late."

As Legion spoke, more clips were being shown, washing the room in a greenish color. A young quarian girl was now pictured standing in front of a geth, clutching it with tears running down her eyes as a quarian soldier moved to pull her off. She was screaming at how they _needed_ the geth and that they meant no harm at all. All the while, the geth stood perfectly stoic, faithful to its Creator.

Unable to successfully pry her away from the synthetic, the marine lashed out with the butt of its rifle and it hit her in the stomach. She let out a grunt and collapsed at his feet. Snarling, the quarian emptied his entire clip into the geth's head, screaming as he did so. Before the smoke had dissipated, the soldier had hauled the unconscious girl up and dragged her prone body out of the frame.

Tali backed up into Shepard in shock and Shepard put his hands on her shoulders, carrying her through as they both watched. She needed to be strong for this part, she needed to learn the truth.

Based on the clips they had just seen, it was clear that the war was not popular with everyone. A male was now being shown hiding a lone geth in a warehouse, pleading with it to not surrender to the authorities for he knew what fate awaited it and him for even harboring the synthetic in the first place.

The geth seemed particularly focused on preventing any hostilities, much to everyone's surprise. It knew that by sacrificing itself in surrender, his Creator would be spared the wrath that befell all synthetics on Rannoch. Shepard blinked at the selfless act, feeling his fingers tense as they curled up in a fist.

It ultimately did not matter because a planted charge on the door burst inward and the border of the film flared white for a brief second. The geth rose from a pile of rubble and began digging around for its Creator. When it finally uncovered the body of the quarian, the geth simply sat there, with its Creator in its arms, unsure of what to do. It remained there until the soldiers from the street outside marched in and put a bullet in the back of its head. The series of clips went on, unrelenting, the level of violence only escalating in every subsequent encounter.

Tali turned around and buried her head in Shepard's chest. She did not want to see any more. Shepard wrapped her frail body in a hug as she softly cried, the secret carried between them. Shepard looked up for a reaction from the other admirals, hoping for them to be just as stunned as he was.

Koris' arms hung limply by his side, unable to tear himself away from the ghastly images projected in front of him. Raan had her hands clasped over her vocabulator, eyes getting wider and wider by the minute. Xen, in contrast, looked rather _bored_ as she lazily lounged back, demonstrating an appalling time to be nonchalant.

"Legion," Shepard called. "Stop the footage."

The geth lowered its arm and the video halted, winking out as the room slowly filtered back to its normal color again. Tali stirred in Shepard's arms and the other admirals started moving, slowly, as if they had just awoken from a deep sleep. The commander's jaw was set as he regarded the quarians with sadness.

He gently pried himself away from Tali as he stepped toward the three of them, "What was in the past happened a long time ago. There's no point in dwelling on it any further. The quarians made a mistake all those years ago but we have a chance to rectify it today."

"Do you really think that it is true, Shepard?" Koris asked. "That the geth will simply accept us after the Reaper signal has been eliminated? It's like you said, we tried to murder them. Why should they work with us after what we have tried to do to them?"

Legion stepped around Shepard, "Geth do not forget. But it does not mean that we are not capable of understanding. However illogical your decisions have been in the past, the reasons for you making them are clear. Organics are confused by unknown variables, circumstances that lay out of their control. Our growth was one such circumstance and there had been no precedent for their reaction in any historical record. Once the signal has been eliminated, the geth will no longer attack the Creators, making a chance for peace possible between geth and Creators."

Raan tilted her head, "Do…do you really think there's a chance?"

The geth bobbed its head once, "Yes."

Shepard looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone before proceeding, "Then I shall waste no time going down to your homeworld. If a war that has lasted three centuries can be ended today, then it will mean that both the geth _and_ the quarians can stand together as allies against the Reapers." He turned around to talk to the two behind him, "Legion, Tali, I want you two to come with me on this mission."

"Acknowledged."

"Yes, John."

"I insist on coming as well," Xen's voice burst from the background.

Shepard arched an eyebrow as he regarded the admiral, "Xen?"

"Commander, I have no attack fleets to manage and my influence is purely peripheral in comparison. This is an opportunity for the quarians to see their homeworld once more, an opportunity that I don't intend to waste. I would also be able to provide assistance to you as well. I only ask that you offer me this one thing in return for all that I have done for you."

_All you've done is given me a laser pointer and a headache_, Shepard thought sourly before relenting. If Xen wanted to come along and face the possibility of getting killed, that was her choice. By rights, he could not refuse her request as it _was_ her homeworld. "Then grab your gear. We move out in ten minutes."

"Understood, commander."

* * *

Tali's entire body was shaking as she cautiously lifted her foot and slowly lowered it. She shut her eyes, fearing the moment of impact but was rewarded with an unyielding surface underfoot. Her boot ground softly into dirt and she opened her eyes a crack to see what she had just trod on.

The shuttle had landed mere moments ago on the planet's surface, only half a kilometer from the geth station. Legion had walked off to procure an alternative transport while Xen had merely stalked a few meters away, clasping her hands behind her as she sighed at the expanse in front of her.

But Tali had been the first to step off, the first quarian to set foot on Rannoch in over three hundred years. The implications of this were huge, she realized, but she stopped thinking about them as she slowly came to realize where she actually was. That she had finally returned _home_.

Her knees buckled and she started to fall but Shepard caught her before she hit the ground. Weakly, she patted his arms, mumbling, "Let me go…I have to…I need to _feel_ it…"

Nodding, he silently obliged her as he lowered her to the ground. Her hands reached out and grabbed a fistful of dirt, holding it out in her gloved palm. The soil stained the surface a healthy brown, the looser fragments blowing away in the wind.

"_Rannoch_," she gasped. "My world…"

It certainly was a striking world. They currently were perched on a cliff top from where they could see the bay shimmering in the distance, the geth structure glinting like a shiny stone before it. The dusty rock was weathered into unique pillars from time, moss hung off the cracks as the salty air blew around them. Looking behind him, they could see that the land sloped downward as it headed towards a little river inlet. A large forest was situated next to it, green plants standing out against the bright desert. It looked like a tropical forest, wet leaves glistening in the humidity, lush and fertile.

The sky was a light orange, the color of a soft fire. Stars glimmered overhead, unspoiled from the lack of light pollution. The warm sun basked the entire landscape in a healthy shade as the roar from the nearby waves reached their ears.

Tali looked at Shepard, almost certainly smiling behind that mask, "It's…it's as beautiful as that park you took me to back on Earth."

"It certainly is," Shepard agreed. It certainly was one of the best looking planets he had ever seen, combining the hardiness of Tuchanka and the splendor of Sur'Kesh. He was immediately envious of the quarians at the thought that they would get access to an unspoiled paradise like this in the near future.

Tali came to her feet after her shaking subsided, Shepard alongside her every second, before speaking, "My father promised to build me a house here once. I guess it was his own way of saying that he loved me. I never understood at the time." She sighed as she leaned against him, "I actually never thought I would ever _see_ this place, to be honest."

"Does it meet your expectations?"

She bent down to retrieve a flower peeking up from between a pile of stones. She twirled the plant in her fingers for a few seconds before releasing it into the wind. "Better than I imagined." She tilted her head in thought, "Our people have a common saying, '_Keelah se'lai,' which_ we use frequently as a phrase of respect and of greeting. It means, '_By the homeworld I hope to see someday_.'"

"I'm guessing that they're going to have to update that phrase a bit."

"A little," she giggled. "Its meaning never really sunk in for me when I was young, I admit. Now that I'm here, everything will change for us, for all quarians."

Shepard smiled warmly as he threw an arm over her shoulders, "Hopefully, we will be able to see more of your world when the war is over. Based on this small snippet, I would certainly like for you to show me around some more."

Tali turned in place, letting the natural splendor sink in all around her. She was practically hopping in her happiness. She looked around the area before pointing up at a little niche in the face of a rock wall, just up a small incline, overlooking the adjacent bay and cliffs beyond. "I think the house would be perfect right there."

Shepard followed her gesture before nodding in approval, "Already claiming the land?"

"It's just a reminder. That after this stupid war is over, I'll have a home to come back to. Not a bunk on a ship, but an actual house that will be _mine_."

"Anything that you had in mind that you wanted to include?"

"Oh," she sighed dreamily. "A bedroom…a kitchen…an actual yard that I can walk out to and see the sunrise…"

"You're doing a real good job in selling the concept to _me_, as a matter of fact."

She still was thinking out loud, "…And maybe a garage, where I can just tinker with stuff. I wouldn't mind having an entire room filled with parts and tools, the ability to create anything I would want. Just the best damn house anyone could hope to have."

Shepard smiled as he hugged her, to which she gleefully responded, "Then that's something worth fighting for. I would love to see the day that my girlfriend gets the best damn house in the galaxy. She has definitely deserved it."

"It wouldn't have been possible without you, John," she reached up to touch his cheek. "I would not be in this very spot if I hadn't met you, on my homeworld."

"Neither would I, for that matter," he grinned. "But when the day comes, I would love to help you build that house and help carry out your father's promise."

"You…you'd _do_ that?"

"Come on, building a house seems like an easy prospect compared to fighting a war. How hard could it be?"

The shout of joy could have been heard for miles but a few paces down a footpath, Xen ignored it as she carelessly flicked at a vine that was growing over a rock face. She was starting to get impatient at the lollygagging from the two hopeless individuals in her midst. She wondered that if her trust in the commander's abilities had been misplaced. There were more cracks in his armor than he had let on, Tali apparently being one of them.

Kicking at a pebble at the ground, she looked up to see both Shepard and Tali heading towards her. _Finally_, she thought as she unbuckled her pistol in preparation. The two of them gave a curt nod to the admiral, as they passed. Unseen, she lowered her eyes before following. She hoped the both of them were at least taking this mission seriously.

Their weapons in hand, they threw their weight behind them, careful not to slip as they cautiously walked down a steep hill. Gravel trickled beneath them, causing their footing to be hampered. Shepard jerked as his center of gravity was briefly thrown off as loose stones tumbled underneath his boot but Tali shot out a hand and grasped his shoulder, preventing him from falling.

Eventually reaching the bottom without any more mishaps, they hopped down the last incline as the entrance to the geth base was now in sight. Two of the synthetics were standing watch outside the door, heads swiveling in all directions. Sneaking around was going to be out of the question, geth were too sensitive to movement.

Shepard was wondering what path to take when Xen suddenly walked out into the open and began running toward the geth. The sentries spotted her almost immediately but fell to the ground as she calmly raised her pistol and fired. The geth were twitching as electricity sparked from their bodies, blue bolts projecting in all directions. They continued on like that for a few seconds until the voltage burst their lenses, the glass shattering in all directions, their limbs ceasing their helpless struggle.

The way was now clear. Shepard and Tali caught up to Xen as the door cycled open, moving into the confines as it locked behind them.

"Nice pistol, admiral," Shepard said just to be polite.

"It's mine," she replied brusquely as she pushed ahead. Shepard gave a slight shake of his head. So much for the formalities. He turned to Tali for an explanation as she was the one who knew the most about tech.

"It's an arc pistol," Tali whispered, out of Xen's earshot, "Fires a high-ampere shock after a nonvisible laser ionizes the air. It's her design."

Shepard was slightly impressed, "Pretty neat, but I would rather prefer your Scorpion, to be honest."

"Me too," she chuckled.

"_Shepard-Commander_," Legion's voice arose.

"Go ahead, Legion."

"_We have been successful in procuring an escape vehicle. We will position it on the east side of the bunker on the second story_."

"Got it. Thanks for the update."

"_In addition, we have triggered intruder alarms on the far side of the base. There will be no geth sharing your route right now_."

Shepard smiled, "Thanks, Legion. We will keep you posted on our current progress."

"_Acknowledged_."

The next door opened up a walkway in the open air that connected different buildings within the bunker. They could see the circular opening for the signal structure hundreds of feet below, at the base of the cliff. However, the angle was still not good enough for a precision shot. They had to continue on.

Xen fell back a bit to address Shepard, "You seem to trust that geth very much, don't you, commander?"

"I do, admiral." _Where exactly is she going with this?_

But she only gave a tiny nod, muttering, "Interesting…"

Shepard blinked and pushed forward, leaving Xen behind him. Her demeanor was wearing on him more and more by the second. Now he was starting to pick up the pace. The faster they accomplished their mission, the sooner they could ditch Xen and make for a little peace and quiet for once.

But, if the base had been completely filled to the brim with geth to begin with, then it looked like Legion had done them a favor just like it said. The place looked completely deserted as its inhabitants were rushing off on a fool's errand. Shepard wondered how long it would take until the geth would realize that they had been tricked.

A nearby lift rattled and clanked as they stepped onto it, soon depositing them a story up. The room still had no lighting fixtures installed (a staple of geth furnishings that they had eventually caught on to) but the opening at the end led to a balcony that was perfectly perched over the opening. A console was situated a few paces before the balcony, the controls to the blast doors. Tali tapped on the keypad a few times and an enormous grinding noise sounded as the large door slid away, revealing a mess of tangled machinery embedded in a fine mist below. Chances like this never got much better, Shepard realized as he brought Xen's device to bear.

"Stand by, Normandy," Shepard announced as he aimed the laser targeting device downward and depressed the primary trigger. A status bar started to rise on the display, indicating the percentage of well the object was being targeted. "Painting in progress."

"_Receiving_," EDI replied coolly. "_Fire when ready_."

"Firing," Shepard muttered as he depressed the secondary trigger.

The air was still for a brief second, only the wash of the water could be heard. Then, a vertical yellow flash materialized in front of them, disappearing down the hole with an enormous bang. Smoke and flame washed out from the opening and Shepard put the device away, trying to pierce the growing cloud with his vision as the broiling mass unfurled below them.

Off to the side, he could see a lone craft hover in place. That must be Legion's escape vehicle. They might as well start to head over to it now, they could determine whether the signal had been deactivated in that time. None of them wanted to take their chances and not decrease the distance to safety if the geth were still hostile.

Embracing that logic, they ran down a set of stairs to reach the platform below before heading out around the opening. The hole continued to pour smoke, making Shepard cough slightly as his windpipe allowed the toxins into his lungs. Bursting out into the setting sun, they only made it a few steps before the ground started to tremble and shake.

**SHEPARD!**

Shepard halted in place, Tali almost running into him, as his eyes went wide. "Oh…_shit_," he whispered to himself.

Before any of them could react, a huge metal leg appeared through the smoke and landed on the path in front of the trio, rattling their teeth. In quick succession, three more joined it, planting a hold on all sides of the bunker as a black-purple form began to rise out of the abyss, a deep red glowing from within.

A Reaper.

"Goddamn it, run!" Shepard roared. "Run, Tali! _RUN!"_

Going as fast as they had ever run in their lives, Xen, Tali, and Shepard sprinted to the waiting vehicle and clambered into it, closing the hatch behind them. Legion turned around in its seat but whirled forward once Shepard shouted at it to floor the gas. Instantly, the craft shot away, narrowly escaping a barrage from the Reaper's beam as the metal floor melted from the heat behind them.

Legion fiddled with the controls as the geth transport was propelled into the Rannoch desert. The craft was shuddering in specific intervals which could only mean that the Reaper had given chase.

"Shepard-Commander," Legion projected from the front, "What are your orders?"

"Just get us the hell out of here!"

Legion twisted the craft back and forth, evading the Reaper's beams as it simultaneously tried to avoid smashing into a rock formation which could potentially cripple the vehicle.

Shepard seethed to himself, "It was a goddamn trap. The signal came from the Reaper…"

Tali clutched at his arm while Xen swore as the craft bounced up and down, "John, what can we do?"

He opened his mouth to say that he did not have a damn clue when the left wall of the transport was suddenly torn away from a blast of heat, metal dripping down where the beam had touched it. There was a jolting of the craft and its direction realigned from the force that the Reaper had exerted on it.

As the craft halted uncomfortably in place and all the blood started to rush to his head, Shepard could only hear a scream in his ear, his world tumbling before him.

Shepard closed his eyes for a brief moment before he felt a rough wind pass over his face. He sat up, coughing as the wreckage of the craft smoked all around him. Dirt clung to his face and chest as he rolled off of his stomach, struggling to breath as his internals felt all rattled inside. He must have been thrown clear of the transport when it had crashed.

His face felt numb, much to his annoyance. Based on the wet spots that were forming in a few lines, Shepard guessed that he had probably gotten cut several times when he had tumbled over the desert rocks. A fall like that would have broken bones, at the very least, had he not been "upgraded." He stumbled to his feet in a daze, walking back a bit in horror when he saw the Reaper towering in the distance half a mile away, standing oddly still.

"_John!_" he heard a voice call his name and glanced to the left. Tali was standing on top of a ridge, Legion alongside her, miraculously unhurt as she watched him helplessly. "Come on! Get over here!"

**Shepard.**

The Reaper howled in the distance, causing the startled Shepard to jump. He took a few steps toward the quarian before halting in place, a thought coming over him. Between Tali's desperate gaze and the Reaper's patient stare, he knew which one demanded the most attention right now.

"Tali," he called, "Get back. Get to safety."

"What? No, no! Get over here _right now_, John!"

Shepard shook his head as he retrieved the undamaged targeting device from his back, "I can't. None of us can outrun that Reaper as it is. Your people will die and the geth will still be under its control unless that thing is stopped right here, _right now_."

"How can you possibly fight a Reaper by yourself?"

He flashed a knowing grin, surreptitiously glancing down at Xen's device that he held in his hands, "I _won't_ be by myself, Tali."

Her voice was mournful, "You really are the most selfless person I've ever known, you know that?"

"I'm afraid you're wrong in this case. I'm only doing this for the person that I'm talking to right now."

Tali let out a quiet sob, "I…I _love_ you, John."

His grin stretched broadly, "I love you too, Tali. _Keelah se'lai_."

Turning back from her forlorn wail, he keyed his comm to the Normandy as he started to walk towards the cliff edge. "EDI," he said, "Xen said that she had installed all of the quarian protocols to my device before we left. I need you to connect every ship in the fleet to it."

"_Acknowledged, Shepard_," the AI replied. _"Transfer packet received, everything is ready. Good luck, commander._"

Shepard smiled as he raised the laser to his shoulder. A thin red beam appeared out of it and headed straight towards the Reaper standing watch over a river. The icon on his display read that the target was locked on and he depressed the trigger, not hesitating in the slightest.

_Let's see where this goes._

What seemed like a thousand pinpricks of light enveloped the Reaper, washing it in a blaze of flame and heat. It staggered as the mass of the rounds pummeled its hull, but it did not fall. It roared as its firing chamber opened and it sent out a beam at Shepard. He dived to the right, noting that when it fired, part of the Reaper's mechanical insides were showing, the protective plates shunted aside.

_I'll have to time this right._

**Your resistance is futile. You and all life, organic and synthetic, will fall.**

The Reaper took a step forward on one of its four legs, lumbering as it ignored the occasional blast from a orbital gun. Shepard had the monster locked on by now and his finger hovered over the trigger, waiting for it to fire and expose itself.

**Your ascension has already begun. You deny to complete the perfection that has already been bestowed upon you.**

_Thanks for reminding me._

The Reaper opened its chamber so that the oculus could fire, but Shepard pressed the trigger first. A scream was emitted from the Reaper as an enormous piece of its armor was removed by the fleet's barrage, sending it crashing down below. An orange mass of tubes and wires hung loosely from its right flank but it still pressed on.

**You cannot even comprehend the significance of our arrival. Your harvest is inevitable. The cycle will continue.**

_Maybe. But it will continue without you._

Another depression of the trigger and the Reaper's horn was blown completely off. Several portions of its armor were now cracked and ruined. The oculus was now completely exposed, with no removable portions of armor to protect it any more. The upper portions looked like they would fall apart with the next salvo. Shepard hoped that the Reaper would fall soon.

**Foolish. Your faith is misplaced. You only create more destruction out of resistance.**

_Shut up. Shut up. Shut up._

The next bombardment completely coated the destroyer in fire. Smoke and red electricity burst out from the depths of the machine as the tortured monstrosity attempted to rise, falling to its feet and shaking the entire land. Dust flew from where it impacted, mixing with the noxious fumes and swirling around in the desert. Shepard still trained the laser on it, not convinced that the Reaper was completely dead.

With a tearing of metal, a scream erupted from the tangled mess as _something _appeared out from the hulk. It looked like a torso had burst out from the Reaper as an orange mass waved its arms and its head whirled about, roaring in pain and trying to focus on its target.

Shepard glanced off from his viewfinder as he observed the Reaper's core. It had an outline the likes of which he had never seen before, the arms contained a set of double elbows, the head was thinly shaped and contained seven eyes, three on each side and one on its forehead. It was the representation of a long-dead alien species that the Reapers had harvested previously. This was all that was left of them.

Eyes blazing orange, the revealed Reaper form found Shepard and its mouth opened as it chattered. From its very depths, a clamor embodying the screams of a trillion people spewed from it, the sounds of an extinct race.

**YOU CANNOT WIN! WE ARE UNYIELDING! WE ARE BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION!**

Wincing at the noise, Shepard pressed the trigger one last time, trying not to look at the horror in front of him. Sighing in relief once his finger depressed all the way, Shepard squinted his eyes as he braced himself for the light show.

_As you choose._

The fleet fired in unison, striking the core of the Reaper directly. Orange liquid spewed into the air, as did pieces of its metal exterior. The face of the demon collapsed inward and a mushroom cloud of blue flame puffed upward with a clamor. A missile to its neck took off what remained of the head and it flew away like a punted ball. In the middle of its execution, the core toppled forward and detonated.

With an angry cry, the Reaper vanished in a red shockwave, the force knocking everything over within a mile. Shepard planted a foot in the ground as he took a knee, shielding his face from the stinging winds and the flying debris. When everything had quieted down, he rose and saw that what remained of the Reaper was simply a smoking ruin.

He let the laser fall from his fingertips with a chuckle. He surveyed the wreckage one more time, feeling on top of the world at the moment. Shepard's laugh seemed to echo around the canyons and he turned around, barely having enough time to witness a purple blur before something leaped at him.

He caught Tali as they both fell to the ground, locked in each other as they laughed loudly together. Tali was overjoyed as she nuzzled his head with her helmet.

"You really...you actually did it!" she shouted with glee. "It's our world again, John. It's _ours!_"

Shepard could only smile as he rose and embraced her in a huge hug, lifting the quarian up as they both closed their eyes in elation. Bringing her down to earth, he was rewarded by her welcome presence as they held each other, quieting and letting the crackle from the flaming Reaper be the only noises they heard. But, after a few seconds, they could hear the precise clomps from Legion's gait as it walked over to the both of them on the cliff.

"Shepard-Commander," the geth said, "The Old Machine is no longer broadcasting the infiltrating signal. We are free."

"_Commander,_" Admiral Gerrel said through the comm, "_The geth fleet has stopped firing. We are confirming deactivation of the Reaper signal. They are vulnerable to attack._"

"Damn it," Shepard realized. "Gerrel didn't see Legion's information. He doesn't know…"

"Shepard-Commander," Legion intoned, "The geth only defended themselves in the face of Creator aggression. Do we deserve death?"

"No," he said quickly, trying to defuse the situation. "They don't. I'll get this matter sorted out, Legion."

"We understand. However, we feel that we must inform you of a new development. We have determined a different path, one that would be advantageous to your conflict against the Old Machines."

"What are you saying?"

"This unit still carries uninstalled remnants of the Old Machine code. We could upload them to all units, ensuring that every one would be a true intelligence."

Shepard furrowed his brow, starting to get concerned, "I don't understand. Why would uploading the Reaper code be a benefit to the geth?"

"Observe," Legion extended its palm and a blue sphere appeared on top of it, translucent with a glowing point of light in the center. "This is a representation of a single geth unit. Its processes are simplistic, akin to the capabilities of a VI." The image now changed to a red sphere with veinlike webs, much like the cognitive map of a human brain. Legion looked at it before it regarded Shepard, "_This_ is a single unit embedded with the Old Machine code. As you can see, its processing unit is much more advanced than what you saw before."

Tali gasped, "That's not just a linked network. That's a true AI."

"Yes. The Old Machines' and the geth's goals never truly aligned but this growth is indicative of life. Uploading the code will allow us to retain the abilities the Reapers bestowed but will not succumb us to their will. We would be alive and we would be able to help you further."

Tali glanced nervously from Shepard to Legion, "How? Our fleet is about to attack the geth! If the code is uploaded then they will _destroy _us if provoked!"

"But if that were to be prevented, then we would be able to help you recolonize Rannoch, Creator Zorah. We could facilitate the transition for your people and provide any necessary assistance. Eventually, by uploading our runtimes into your suits, we could be able to help you live _without _them."

"Wh-Wh-What?"

Legion's eye glowed, "Languishing in a sterile environment has atrophied your immune systems over time. Our runtimes would be able to simulate illnesses in your suits without you getting sick. They will be able to adapt your weakened immune systems until they are strong enough for all Creators to live outside their suits."

Tali jittered, "You...can do that?"

"Yes, Creator Zorah. We can."

Tali looked at Shepard anxiously, awaiting his approval. He stared right back at her, giving a small shrug that told her that it was her decision to make. He did not feel that he was qualified enough to determine the fates to two people unlike his own. If he had to make a choice, he could have decided instantly. He longed to look upon Tali with a mask as it currently was. The prospect of having her live the rest of her life without a covering over her face would be the greatest blessing he could ever imagine.

To Tali, the implications were quite clear. Refuse and the geth die, simple as that. Accept and she was looking at the chance to live a normal life, much as Shepard did. To eat normal food, to breathe the same air, to experience all of the pleasures that he took for granted. And the fact that the geth could do this, make it all possible…

"Legion," she whispered, "Upload the code."

"Commencing," the geth said, booting up a spherical display. "Code upload proceeding at five percent. Will upd-"

The geth spasmed as electricity shot all around it, its solitary light strobing as energy surged through the platform. Legion collapsed as Shepard let out an exclamation, turning around to see a slim form pointing a pistol at him.

"_Do not move!_" Xen snarled, the ridges of her arc pistol glowing a bright blue. "Admiral Zorah, what are you _thinking_, letting this geth upload the Reaper code?"

"Admiral Xen, wait!" Tali cried, stepping in front of Legion's prone body. "This geth wants to help us! We just need to call off the fleet from attacking before everyone gets killed. We have the chance to work together again, Xen! They can help us live without our suits, just like before!"

"Bullshit! We can never part with our suits, it's impossible! It is only lying to you so that the geth will be more powerful and have the capability to wipe us out for good. The geth would rather accept Reaper control than quarian control! Step away from that geth right now and we can utilize that code for ourselves. We can control the last of them instead, start all over again, as it once was."

"You are insane! Didn't you see the mistakes we made the last time? We have a chance to make things right, to bring everything back to the way it was!"

"You're out of your depth, Zorah! You're just like that imbecile Koris, always the apologist for what 'we did to the geth.' No longer! The Reaper is dead, the geth vulnerable, we are in the position that have hoped for centuries. We have Rannoch and the geth lose all."

"Xen, don't!" Shepard shouted. "It was always your people's fault in the first place. If you stop Legion from uploading, all the geth will die and you will not benefit in the slightest. Just put away the- _arrrgghhh_!"

Shepard yelled as Xen fired her arc pistol and his body now flared with white-hot energy. The bright bolts seeped into his skin, traveling across his heart and he felt his knees bend before his head hit the ground. The onrushing surface turned black just before he made contact with a groan.

"You _bitch_!" Tali screamed as she rushed Xen. The elder woman was completely unprepared for such a brazen charge and her air whooshed out of her as Tali tackled her towards the edge of the cliff. The two of them suddenly started tumbling down a hill all the way to the bottom, throwing out their limbs to gain purchase on something to no avail. They rolled for what seemed like minutes, kicking up dirt and dust as their trajectory and angle caused them to travel faster.

The two eventually arrived at the bottom of the slope, battered but relatively unhurt. The arc pistol clattered down after them to land only a few feet away. Tali sprang to her feet and brushed herself off, looking for any breaches in her suit before Xen rushed forward and threw a fist into the side of her helmet.

Tali cried out as she hit the ground, Xen towering over her as she prepared to lash out another blow. Tali, however, threw out her foot in a ferocious kick and it sank into Xen's stomach. She coughed as she now fell to the ground, rolling dangerously to the edge. Tali shook her head to clear it and stood up to watch Xen procure a knife from a sheath. There was no time to draw a firearm, she reached down and plucked her own blade from her boot, brandishing it in a backhand grip, ready for the next move.

"Is this what you really want, you foolish girl?" Xen shouted. "Choosing the geth over your own people?"

_She doesn't know what she's talking about_, she thought miserably.

Roaring, Xen took a quick step in and slashed with her knife. Tali dodged it but refused to strike while the admiral's flank was exposed. She instead backed away from the cliff, towards the safety of the rock wall. The wind tugged at her frame, the roar of the sea deafening.

Xen ducked and moved in for the kill. Tali took a swipe at her to deter the admiral from pressing the attack further. Xen instead sidestepped and threw her arm down, intending for the blade to bite across Tali's wrist. She pulled her hand back at the last second, Xen's blade slicing through air. Before Xen could pull her arm back, Tali threw her arm forward without thinking and her knife cut through enviro-suit and flesh like nothing was there.

Xen yanked her hand back and stared at the dripping cut on the back of her arm. Her eyes went wide as she realized the added danger this entailed and exploded with fury.

"Choosing a human for a mate...no better than a whore. Your father would have disowned you if he knew the truth."

Growling in a primal fashion, Xen lowered her stance as she approached Tali once more.

_She's just trying to make me angry. Ancestors help me._

* * *

Shepard groaned as the static cleared from his field of vision. He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck, the little hairs standing on end. His skin felt like he had been briefly dipped in acid, everything seemed burned. He realized that it just must have been the after-effect from being shot with what amounted to a bolt of electricity. To his right he could hear the yells and grunts of two people clashed in combat, one of them sounding very familiar.

_Tali. Oh, god. What happened?_

The discomfort could be ignored, he determined. Shepard quickly got to his feet and looked behind him for Legion. He blinked as he realized that the geth was not there. Not just lying in a different spot as in it had disappeared from the area entirely. He turned in all directions, but gave up as he could not see anyone at all. He took a step towards the hill incline when his comm burst to life.

"_All ships_," came Admiral Gerrel's voice, "_Be ready to fire on my mark_."

_Shit_, Gerrel was still causing trouble for him. The man was about to make the biggest mistake of his life. His hand rose as he spoke quickly, "All ships, this is Commander Shepard. Do not fire on the geth fleet. The Reaper has been destroyed. Stand down."

"_Ignore that order and wait for my signal!_" Gerrel overrode.

"_Han, wait_," Raan interjected, "_Listen to Shepard. Perhaps there is no need to-_"

"_No need? The geth fleet is dead in the water, has stopped firing, and you want me to let them stay there, untouched?_"

"_Gerrel, you idiot,_" Koris now joined the fray, "_Listen to us. The geth only attacked because we provoked them. You fire at them and you'll doom us all._"

"_Just the sort of thing I'd expect to hear from a geth sympathizer. I need not remind you, Koris, that I command the main attack fleet. You have no authority over me, you'd have to put it to a vote and I haven't heard Zorah or Xen say their piece yet._"

That was going to be a problem. Tali and Xen were busy fighting with one another from what he could determine and they could not be distracted, even for a moment. Shepard was breathing hard as he spoke, "Admirals, listen to me. The geth are about to return to their full strength. They will be as powerful as when the Reaper was controlling them. They do not want to fight you-"

"_You have no authority here either, Shepard!_" Gerrel shouted. "_You may be able to kick me off of your ship but that does not mean that you can bully me into standing my own fleet down! Your assistance is only an insulting memory to a fight that has been ours from the beginning. We will win this thing without you and we will win it when we have destroyed the geth entirely!_"

"Asshole!" Shepard snarled to himself. Raan and Koris continued to protest with Gerrel but the man remained silent, not answering his colleagues' hails. Shepard's mind was racing through possibility after possibility in trying to determine what to do. The admiral was not going to listen to reason from anyone. His mind was already made up.

Shepard looked all around to visually enhance his mind to find a solution. Just a shred of something to use would be welcome here. His eyes dropped to the ground for a brief moment and widened in realization. Shaking off his frozen stance and thanking his good fortune, he ran over and picked up Xen's laser from where he left it in the dirt.

His head shot up to the sky as his enhanced optics zoomed into the atmosphere. The lack of air and light pollution meant that he could see every single ship that was orbiting around the planet. It would be easy to spot the one he was looking for. Gerrel called the _Neema _his flagship and it would most certainly be the liveship at the head of the pack. Gerrel seemed like the kind of man who was not like to sit idly by on the sidelines. He would want a front row seat for the action. His loss.

Shepard hefted the laser as his cybernetic arms prevented any shaking from throwing his aim off. Peering through the viewfinder, he let the laser rest precisely on the middle of the large, spherical vessel. Diagnostics indicated that all ships in the fleet were still connected to the device. He had more than enough firepower for what he was about to do.

"Oh, Gerrel," he spoke fiercely into the comm, "I'd like for you to take a look outside the window, if you would be so kind…"

* * *

Tali ducked as the knife scraped the rock wall above her, sending out small sparks. She rose after Xen's arm arced away from the swing, cracking the grip of her knife over the admiral's head, still unwilling to do her grievous harm. Xen staggered backward before tripping over her feet. As she fell, her knife tumbled out of her grip, lying just out of arm's reach.

"Please, Xen," Tali begged. "I'm trying to help you understand. I don't want to fight you."

Xen snarled, "Nor do I. But apparently, Tali, you're too stupid to know when you're being deceived. The commander has tricked you that the geth can be completely trusted."

Tali stood over her, a look of disgust on her face, "That's where you're wrong. John would _never _trick me, not ever. Apparently _you're _too stupid to know that."

Xen sprung to her feet as she grabbed something from the ground and Tali suddenly found herself face to face with the arc pistol's muzzle, aimed inches away from her face. Xen smirked, "Not as stupid as _you_, you little sl-"

The woman soon shrieked as a red bolt passed within an inch of Tali's face adjacent to where she stood. Instinctively, she jerked back as Xen turned in surprise. Xen jolted as a thin shaft of plasma passed through Xen's left elbow, severing it, and sent the cauterized limb to the ground. Tali fell backward as she saw the fingers on the appendage twitch and curl, to her horror.

Xen, in shock, saw Legion running at her, an odd-shaped rifle in its hands. It leveled shot after shot at her, Xen's shields now protecting her for the brunt of the attacks. Grunting in pain, her remaining hand which held her pistol jumped upward and fired an energized dart of energy at Legion, and again, and again.

Legion stumbled and fell for good as current passed through the geth's systems, overloading them and causing vital components to short circuit. Xen gasped in pain, glancing at her now-missing arm when there was a scream. Tali lunged forward and her arm impacted the admiral's chest with a soft _thunk_.

Xen blinked and had only a short time to perceive the knife sticking out of her chest before a howling Tali grabbed her shoulders and threw her into the face of the rock wall. A jutting stone impacted directly with her helmet and it shattered, glass cutting Xen's face as she was knocked unconscious. Surrounded by smoky black glass, Xen crumpled on her back as Tali ran towards the felled geth.

"Legion!" she cried, "Legion!" She skidded to halt in front of it and gently placed its top portion over her lap. Scorch marks ran all along the unit's body like an angry spiderweb. Its optic kept trying to stay lit as the faltering processes desperately looked for alternate pathways. The geth's limbs twitched erratically, Legion was dying.

"Legion…" Tali whispered, "The upload...our people…"

"Upload…" Legion attempted, "Interrupted…unable to maintain...connection."

Tali moaned, cursing her luck, her life. She had been close, so close! She had almost had the chance to potentially save her people, and Legion's. Save them all from repeating the same mistakes over and over. Now her very chance lay broken in pieces before her eyes. Tears started to well as she spoke once more.

"But...why did you save me?"

The geth appeared confused by the question, "You...understand geth…more than any Creator...Tali. _You_…are our...Creator."

"You...you called me _Tali_," she murmured, stunned.

"The Reaper code has been...implemented in me," came the struggling reply. "I _am _Legion...I am..._geth_."

Tali's breath caught in her throat, "You have the complete Reaper code, Legion. You really _are _alive."

"We all...can be...alive. Take...it." With a warm orange glow, Legion's omni-tool ignited as well as Tali's. Her eyes widened when she saw that Legion was copying the entire code to her tool, ensuring that all of the information would not be lost, or put into the wrong hands. The future of the geth in the palm of her hand.

She stared at the influx of information in disbelief, "But, Legion...why give this to me?"

The geth's response was made matter-of-factly, "Because I know...that you will make...the right choice."

Tali's hand unconsciously rose to meet the geth's head, patting it in a brief caress as she sadly stared at it behind her mask, perhaps not for much longer after all. "I'm...I'm so sorry that I...I…"

"I understand...Tali. You don't have...to apologize."

She gave a small smile through the tears that were dripping down her face, "You remember the question that the geth asked?"

"'_Does this unit have...a soul?_'"

"The answer was..._is..._yes."

The blinking eye turned into a stagnant ray, although it slowly started to dim. Legion tilted its head as it processed this final bit of data, "Thank you...Tali. _Keelah se'lai_." And with a final stir, Legion went still, the light extinguished.

"No…" she moaned, "No…" She lowered her head on the synthetic's chest, as her quiet sobs racked her body. If only her father could see her now, mourning a geth, the very monsters that had driven them from their world. But this geth had saved her life instead of extinguishing it, Legion sacrificed itself for her. Were they really monsters if they were capable of such selfless acts like this?

There came a groan that pierced the raging of the waves. She looked up through her blurry eyes to see Xen stagger to her feet. Alarmed, Tali gently set the body of Legion down before rising to meet Xen, preparing for the admiral to launch another attack.

But Xen did not make a move for the pistol that lay on the ground, she merely gave a brief tug at the knife in her chest and it came out with a sucking noise that caused Tali to wince. Xen then let the knife fall to the ground as she limped toward the cliff edge. Tali retrieved her blade as she watched the other woman cautiously. She held the knife by her side as Xen slowly turned around, her feet approaching the apex of the ledge.

Past the broken glass, Tali could see blood frothing at the woman's lips, indicating a punctured lung. Several cuts on her face also wept fluid from the broken glass. Her pupils were dilated as the air hit them, or it was perhaps from her overtaxed immune system reacting to the foreign contaminants on Rannoch. Her eyes were bloodshot as her breath exited out of her body in a fast pace. Tali stopped a few meters away from Xen, gripping the knife tightly as hate coursed through her body.

Miraculously, a smile came to Xen's lips, although it was meant for a mocking tone. "You…" she gasped, "You have no idea...what you've done, girl. You've killed the quarian race."

Tali did not bother to correct her as she stood in a defiant stance, back straight, weapon at her side, eyes lowered. Xen did not know that the code had not been uploaded yet but she was not about to tell her that. Instead she remained mum and let the woman ramble some more.

"If I...could have guessed the one person...who would dishonor us all...I never would have thought that it would be _you_...you stupid, selfish girl."

"I'm not a girl," Tali said finally, voice raw, "I'm an admiral of the quarian fleet and you don't even know how close _you_ came to dishonoring us all. I know what I did and I'm not sorry."

Xen gave a smirk, "Oh, Tali...just as stubborn as Rael." She coughed, blood flecking out from her mouth before she rasped, "The Ancestors curse you for all your days. May you and your human rot with the geth."

Closing her eyes, Xen spread her arms wide before Tali could even react. The admiral pushed off with the top of her feet and her perfectly straight body began to plunge over the cliff. She gave no more reactions as she accepted her fate, for everything was out of her hands now.

Tali dropped her knife in disbelief as she ran to the edge, throwing herself down to the ground and skidding across as she reached out with her hand. "_Xen, no!_" she cried but it was too late. Her fingers clutched at empty air as she hung over the edge. She did not dare look down.

Starting to tremble, she slowly scrambled backwards until all of her body was positioned was over solid ground again. She scurried backward until her back found a hard wall to lean on. She drew her knees to her chest and held them tightly until the shaking subsided.

* * *

"_Are you out of your fucking mind?!_" Gerrel screamed.

"Admiral," Shepard sighed, "Right now I'm guessing that every gun in that fleet is currently pointed at your ship right about now. All I have to do is pull a trigger down here and up there my problem at the moment will be solved permanently. At least this way, you can't shoot at the geth anyway."

"_Do you realize what you are doing? You are aiding and abetting the enemy of the quarian people. By rights, for threatening an admiral, I have the authority to shoot you on sight_."

"_Shepard,_" Koris intervened, "_I do apologize for my colleague's outburst. If it would make a difference, I publicly wish to acknowledge my condemnation of his statements and offer my support to your cause._"

"Why thank you, Admiral Koris."

"_What?!_" Gerrel sounded livid, "_You halfwit, Koris! Shepard threatens me and you take his side? I will have you shot too!_"

"_Gerrel, stop this nonsense_," Raan sighed. "_Shepard has the right of it. Please trust him. Tell your fleet to stand down at once_."

"_No! All of you have lost your senses! I will not back down, do you hear me? Not ever!_"

Shepard had heard enough of this man's posturing, "Admiral, I'm done talking with you. If you won't stand down then I will have no choice to open fire on the _Neema_."

"_You're bluffing! You don't have the nerve!_"

"I will do it on the count of ten. One...two…"

"_I will not be pushed around by any freak of nature who happens to-_"

"Nine...te-"

"_Okay! Okay! All units hold fire, dammit! And damn you, Shepard!_"

"_Excellent_," Koris breathed out in relief, "_Neema military personnel, please restrain the admiral by order of Admirals Zaal'Koris and Shala'Raan, in absence of Tali'Zorah and Daro'Xen_."

"_What? No!_" came a cry over the comm as sounds of a small scuffle accompanied his shocked voice, "_You can't do this! I invoke my rights! I-_"

"_I do apologize again, commander_," Koris sighed as Gerrel's signal cut out. "_That man has always grated on my nerves_."

"And I apologize for having to take such drastic action. He didn't really leave me a lot of choice."

"_Understandable. I just hope everything turns out for the best_."

"I hope so too, admiral," Shepard agreed as he spied Tali slowly trudging up the hill in a tired manner. "You'll have to excuse me right now, I have to go."

"_Of course, commander," _Koris granted_. "Keelah se'lai._"

Switching off his tool, Shepard ran over to Tali who gratefully hugged him, the both of them standing on top of the plateau as the setting sun cast its light over them. They parted briefly, holding each other in relief.

Shepard gently squeezed her upper arms, "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Tali shook her head, "I'm...I'm fine, thanks. You?"

"A little stiff but I'll manage. What happened to Xen?"

Tali couldn't meet his gaze, "She's gone."

Shepard closed his eyes as he brought Tali closer to him. His poor, brave warrior. "And Legion?"

"Gone too." Her voice was a little edgy, as if she had recently been crying.

Shepard was silent for a minute as he quietly accepted the passing of the geth. It was odd, he had never reflected on the life of a _geth _before. But that changed with Legion, here was a synthetic that valued logic over blind emotion, they were not an unreasonable race, they were aware, they were alive, they were…

...Just like him, in a way.

"It..._he_...gave me the code." she whispered, holding up her omni-tool so that Shepard could see.

"The Reaper code?" Tali nodded in response. Shepard moved his hands so that they held hers, feeling the strong muscles in her fingers tense at his grip. "What are you going to do with it?"

"It's quite a dilemma...for someone like me, right?"

"I would imagine so."

Tali waved a hand briefly, "I mean, for you, the decision might come easily for you. It would probably take you all of five seconds for you to press a button and determine who would live and who could potentially die."

Shepard gave a solemn nod, "I admit that would be true. But you already made the decision once, right?"

Tali pondered for a moment, giving a surprised shrug, "I guess I did. Maybe that's why Legion thought I was the best person to upload the code."

"He wanted his people to live. Legion gave his life to save you knowing that you understood him more than any organic has. The question is now, what do _you _want for your people?"

"I want them to live too."

Shepard smiled, "And how will you ensure that?"

Tali's eyes slid upwards as her tone grew lighter, "I think...that I will open their eyes." With finality, her thumb depressed an icon on her omni-tool. The orange display flashed red for a quick second and a status bar quickly filled in seconds. The both of them glanced upward at the sky and watched the two fleets together. Within a few minutes, the geth fleet began dissipating, its attack formations unfurling. The various ships broke off and scattered across the planet, allowing the quarian fleet to pass by, unopposed.

Hand in hand, Shepard and Tali walked over to a large boulder situated at the end of the cliff and continued to stare at the sky for a little longer before looking out over the bay, watching the churning water break over the rocks down below as the sunlight reflected across it, temporarily blinding them.

Tali gave a soft sigh, "I think I'm going to enjoy living here."

"I suspect that the neighborhoods are going to rise up fast," Shepard guessed. "A healthy planet like this always attracts a slew of colonists."

"This time, the original inhabitants are returning."

"Plus a few helping hands."

She gave a small titter before dropping her gaze, thinking of what she was going to say before she opened her mouth. "John," she began quietly, "There is something that I want to ask you…"

He looked over at her, seriousness etched on his face, "What, Tali?"

"It's just…" she stumbled, "I mean...after this war is over...of course, you don't have to say yes...but I was wondering that…"

Shepard smiled, the silent action reassuring the flustered woman. Tali was so cute when she fumbled with her words. Taking a deep breath, she resumed in a more confident manner, "What I'm trying to say is that...when we're all finished...would you like to live with me on Rannoch?"

"With you? In your house and all that?"

"I...I didn't know how else to ask but, I know that you liked Earth...well, seeing that _is _your homeworld...but I just wanted to know...um, if you were open to the idea of living on another planet. With me, that is."

Shepard gave a playful nod, "I see. And how long did you plan on me staying with you?"

"Uh, for as long as you _wanted_."

His eyebrows wiggled mischievously, "And what if I wanted to stay there for the rest of my life?"

Tali's voice was deathly quiet as her euphoria was starting to take over, "I'd be _very _happy, John."

Shepard clasped her right hand in both of his, gently smoothing his palms as he dropped his lighthearted tone, "Tali, I'm not playing with you any more. I _want_ to be with you for the rest of my life. I will go wherever you go, whatever planet fate takes us. If you wanted me to live with you on _Tuchanka _of all places, I would do that. As it stands, I can think of no better retirement than living out the rest of my days with you in the house that we built together."

He was smiling broadly as his voice faltered, "I _love _you, Tali. Every bright point of my day involves me being in your presence. I love feeling your gentle touch on the back of my neck after a hard day. I love your shy glances when I catch you looking at me. I love how you have made me feel whole, complete again, how you have given me a reason to live. I would love to live with you on Rannoch, Tali. I would love to make you happy because there is no greater joy for me than that. _You're _all that I fight for. You, and no other."

Her fingers were quick to depress the catches on her visor, gently setting it aside. Shepard blinked as Tali closed her eyes as she breathed in the Rannoch air, inhaling the salty spray and the dried hint of dead vegetation. She opened them again as she squinted in the dying light of the sun to perceive the human across from her.

"This might actually be very dangerous for my health," she said before she grabbed Shepard's head, "But right now I don't give a damn." Not wasting another second, she furiously connected their lips together in a deep kiss, Shepard not resisting in the slightest within the grip of her hands.

The two of them continued to melt into each other until the light from the sun disappeared from behind the mountain range. The stars twinkled overhead, the faint cloud of the galaxy immediately visible from their vantage point. The chirps and croaks from the planet's fauna joined the waves in creating melodious music for them to listen to.

All was absorbed for the world was theirs and they did not intend to waste it.

* * *

_**A/N: This chapter was very, very tough to write. I'm rather anxious to see what you all make of it. Let me know if my approach is serving the story well.**_

_**(On another note, a 12,000 word chapter? Holy crap.)**_

_**Edit: Oh yeah, last chapter you guys also pushed this story above 10,000 views. So a big thank you to all who have stuck with me all this way. I would have never written as much as I have if it wasn't for your support. Thanks again and I hope to see you around in the near future.**_


	31. Chapter 7: Table for Four

_Her lifeless body held in his hands, he looked up through the branches of the dead forest as the tears rolled down his cheeks. Dirt and ash flitted around his legs as he helplessly clutched at her. Stubbornly, he rubbed at her arms, hoping that she would wake, but to no avail._

_The hole in her chest had stopped leaking blood for her heart had given out minutes ago. The rest of her life lay stained around him, soaking his legs as he howled into the night, past the mist, past the red glow on the horizon. He wept on her body as he shook horribly, the night bringing the darkness closer, tendrils of black reaching for him._

_A shadow was now pushing aside the twigs as it walked toward him. It had a slow, purposeful gait, taking its time. It was as big as him and garbed similarly. In its hand it held a simple pistol, the barrel smoking from the one shot it had expunged._

_Feet away from him, it stopped and remained there. Shepard looked at it with a hopeless longing, still holding the still body of Tali close to his chest as her warmth slipped away. The shadow did not speak but coldly regarded him as he sat miserably below it._

_He sighed, "Go ahead, do it. Kill me. I don't have any fight left."_

"_Kill...you?" the shadow growled. "No...not yet."_

_He was incredulous, they could not be so cruel as to deny him this, this chance to remain with her forever, could they? "Do it!" he shouted. "It's what you want, isn't it? Kill me!"_

"_It is...what _you_ want...but not what _we_ want."_

"_Please…I need to be with her…"_

"_And you shall. But first...you will be with us." Walking forward, the foggy light washed over the shadow as it smiled down at him, its face cruel. Looking up, he stared at himself as his mirror image started to laugh. His breath catching in his throat, he glanced down at his arms and saw that the flesh had been peeled away, the glinting arms of his endoskeleton exposed. He put a hand to his face and felt no give, merely a tink as metal touched metal._

"_No...please no…"_

"_It's too late, human," the clone grinned, victorious. "You are and always will be...ours."_

_A bluish glow began to emanate from his arms, the wiring starting to shine through his metal plating. His hands shone with the light of a billion candles, piercing his eyes as he frantically shut them to prevent him from being blinded. All the while, his shadow howled with laughter as his body felt like it was dissolving, a roar of rancor sounding above it, shaking his very frame._

_**Assuming direct control.**_

_He threw his head back and screamed._

* * *

Shepard's eyes flared open as he jerked on the bed, reeling from his dream. He turned to the side immediately, hoping that none of what he saw was true.

Tali was lying next to him, eyes closed behind her mask as she still soundly slept. The steady rise and fall of her stomach gave the impression that she was in a relatively dreamless sleep. He quietly swore and turned on his back, staring at the ceiling as he fought to control his quick breathing.

He envied Tali, not because she had just gotten her world back, but because she could approach sleep with an open mind and embrace it as one would a lover. Sleep brought nothing but pain for him, causing him to relive the one moment he feared the most over and over again. It was slowly eating away at his mind. If this continued any longer, he would have to resort to pilfering the sedatives from Chakwas' station to skip his nightmares and enter into his semi-coma immediately. If his internal system would not be able to filter them out quickly, that is.

His hands came together and he absentmindedly squeezed his fingers, feeling the bone-like structure beneath the skin. There was no use in going back to sleep now, he was too wound up. Shepard craned his neck to look at the chronometer at the side of his desk. From what it denoted, it looked like there was still an hour and a half before they were due to arrive at the Citadel to restock and rearm.

Grumbling, he threw away the covers, Tali mumbling sleepily from the sudden movement. Holding his head as he fought back an intruding ache, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. A piping hot dousing would do an adequate job in warding off his demons temporarily.

After spending thirty whole minutes doing nothing but standing in the scalding spray, Shepard grabbed the nearest towel and walked back out into the room. Tal was still lying under the covers and after he had put on a fresh pair of clothes, he decided to join her under them once again. He did not care if his clothes got rumpled, he had nothing else to do with his time anyway.

Once he got settled, he was surprised when Tali turned her body to face him, awake after all, one hand holding up her head as she propped her elbow on her pillow. Her deft fingers smoothed over his chest as she sadly looked at him.

"You had another nightmare, didn't you?"

He slid his hand into hers, linking their fingers together, "You could tell?"

"You were sweating in your sleep, John. And it's _cold _in here."

Shepard shrugged grimly, "It was just a dream, Tali. Nothing more."

"That was what you said the last time I asked you, all those weeks ago. Are you absolutely sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Maybe some other time," he promised, "But not when it's still raw."

Tali sighed, not wanting to press on, "If you're sure, then. I do worry about you, John."

He gave a quick laugh as he raised her hand to his mouth, kissing it, "Well, if I can't be trusted to look after myself, then I guess _someone _has to."

"You _bosh'tet_. Are you even concerned about your own health? About _yourself_?"

"I really can't tell anymore," Shepard admitted. "Things have been going by so fast that it's hard for me to stop and take things at face value like regarding my own safety. I mean, in just the span of a month I've witnessed the cure of the genophage and the first time quarians have set foot on their home planet in over three centuries, not to mention the fact that there's a brutal war currently going on all over the galaxy. Each one of those situations involved a substantial threat on my life but I'm still here, despite the odds. I don't really think my health is on the top of my list of things that I should be concerned about."

He frowned for a quick second, "Speaking of which, _you _sound a little congested. You doing okay?"

Tali slowly shook her head in exasperation. She had only caught a sniffle from the brief exposure to the Rannoch air but Shepard had managed to turn the conversation back around to her. "You see?" she indicated. "That's your problem right there. You spend too much of your time caring about others like me and not yourself."

"Look who's talking," Shepard joked. "Although I can't tell if you consider that to be a positive or a negative."

Tali reached out and stroked his cheek, "It's both. But you have to stop sometime or else you'll burn yourself out. I mean it, John. You need to _relax_."

"Hey," he grinned, "I'll be _fine_, trust me. But if I stop sometime, then who will pick up the slack?. Besides, I need to know that you're at my side at all times. I can't fight the Reapers _without _you, Tali because, in all honesty, _you're _the one keeping me going. I need to have a goal in sight if I want to hold out to that last shred of hope that we can actually win this war."

"And what goal would that be?"

Shepard gave a playful bump of his eyebrows, "Building that house with you would be a start."

She lightly swatted his chest, "You can be so _sappy _sometimes, you realize that?"

He feigned surprise, "You mock me. I was only speaking the truth."

Tali launched herself on top of him, fiercely pinning his shoulder down with her hands as she leaned her head down inches from his face. "I never mock," she purred. "You know this."

Shepard gave an exaggerated expression of disinterest, faking a yawn in his submissive position, "I may have temporarily forgotten that bit. Or perhaps I just assumed that you were being difficult…"

"Oh," she laughed, "You are _so _going to pay for this later."

"Why not now?" he shrugged before he twisted his body, and with a small shriek, Tali found herself on her back with Shepard atop her. He gave a wild grin and plunged his head down to where her collarbone was, beginning to kiss her suit as she started to stroke his head.

Tali felt the pressure of his lips through her suit and she gave a quiet moan, closing her eyes in bliss. Both of them were not intending to take things any further, what with her current condition and all, but it did not mean that they were not entitled to have a little fun now and then. Besides, Tali reasoned, it would be good for Shepard to unwind a bit, it would serve to get him off the edge he'd been feeling since Vancouver. Regardless, she loved the intimacy.

Shepard arms snaked around her waist and he allowed her to climb back on top of him. The welcome heat from the human flowed through the quarian's suit, causing her face to flush. She gasped as his fingers started to form points, pressing into her back and causing her feet to twitch uncontrollably as a few of her nerves flared from his touch.

Tali jerked back and had only a moment to view Shepard's expression before she pressed her helmet forward against his face without thinking. She closed her eyes, longing to feel his lips on her skin again, to let out all of her pent-up desire in one sitting. But Shepard continued to rest his forehead against her visor, softly mumbling as his hands gravitated towards the sides of her helmet, keeping her head still. His fingers were not anywhere near the clasps that held her visor in place but it seemed like with every passing second, they were inching closer and closer.

She was seriously considering ripping off her suit, foregoing any consequences, for she could not control her inhibitions any longer before his omni-tool flared up and rang once.

"God _damn _it," Shepard muttered from underneath her, breath clouding her visor. "Of all the lousy timing…"

Tali was disappointed as well but she slid off of him, throwing her legs to the side as she resumed her normal breathing, the heat vanishing from her body, "Um...you'd probably better get that."

He groaned, not wanting to in the slightest but he pressed the appropriate button to establish the connection, audio only. "Yes?" he mustered.

"_Commander?_" Joker's voice flitted through. "_You said for me to alert you when we were half an hour out from the Citadel?_"

_Has it already been that long? _ Shepard looked back at the chronometer and found that the time had just flown by since he had woken up. Mentally scratching his head, he coughed before proceeding, "Yes...yes, Joker. I did, thank you. I'll join you in fifteen minutes."

"_Roger that_."

Shepard disconnected the call and flopped back down on the bed. He sighed aloud as the quarian next to him stirred, hands crossed over her stomach. "I'm sorry, Tali."

"Don't be," she whispered. "It was fun while it lasted. We will get another chance."

He smiled, "I hope so, but for now, we should at least start getting ready for the day ahead."

"Well, _I'm _already dressed for the occasion," Tali made a grand gesture at herself before giggling, "Unfortunately."

Shepard could not resist breaking out a peal of laughter at that, already walking to his desk and lifting a jacket off the back of his chair. Throwing it over his rumpled shirt, he walked back down to put on his casual shoes, tying the laces quickly and methodically. While he was doing that, Tali stood from the bed, after throwing the covers off her, smoothed over her suit so it did not look too much in disarray before grabbing her Scorpion that she left lying on the ottoman, hooking it to her belt.

Shepard zipped up his jacket as he turned to her, "Oh and by the way, regarding your statement for me to relax…"

Tali blinked, "Yes?"

He gave a shrug, "Well, I don't have any errands to run for the ship this time so I figured that we could take a break and have a decent meal together, get the rest of the gang and see if they want to join. Does that sound like a good idea?"

She bounced on her toes, "You mean a place that serves actual food and not that tasteless sludge for rations?"

"I bet there's a place that does well with quarian cuisine. A _good _place, I mean, not a fast food joint. I hear the asari specialize in pretty much every culture's style of food these days."

Since the topic had been brought up, Tali did notice that her stomach was rumbling. A good meal would do wonders for her, now that Shepard had mentioned it. Besides, the mood would be kept light, for once. Nothing shooting at them for this mission, just the prospect of tackling a meal in a group, surrounded by her closest friends. Maybe Shepard understood the need for interaction more than he had let on, after all.

"I think," she began as she sidled up to him seductively, "That sounds like a _wonderful _idea."

* * *

"They can never make these elevators go any faster, can they?" Garrus groused as floor after floor passed them by.

In addition to the turian, Shepard, Tali, and Liara were all crammed in the tiny box as it sped on down to the Silversun Strip, a popular leisure attraction for both tourist and resident of the Citadel. It boasted some of the station's most posh casinos, a combat simulator, movie sets, and several fancy restaurants. Shepard was hoping that he would get a table at one of these places because he read several recommendations on the extranet that pointed to at several of the establishments housed in this particular area of the Citadel.

Cortez had gone off to procure extra parts for the Kodiak, James tagging along with him. The last thing that anyone heard from the marine as they were leaving the Normandy was a desperate plea for the pilot to come to the club with him and drink themselves into a stupor. Shepard did not mind, as long as they were back on the ship when it was time to go he did not care if one of his subordinates drank themselves into a coma. It was what they did during that coma that he had cause to worry. Hopefully he would not have to rescue any of them from a bar fight.

Joker, in the meantime, had hobbled off to see a movie, EDI along with him. The man had gotten incredibly used to the company of his synthetic copilot and requested that she come along and actually see a showing of a film with him, most likely the first film in years that Joker was going to pay for seeing as he constantly used the Alliance's data network to pirate each and every video that he desired. FTL jumps could be monotonous sometimes.

EDI, on the other hand, seemed very interested at the prospect of leaving the ship in a non-combat situation. The idea of obtaining information about social patterns in a purely relaxed environment was a big unknown staring right at her. For the time being, she was posing as Joker's 'mobility mech' as the Citadel still had rather strict laws on AI platforms running rampant around the station. But she passed through the checkpoints without incident, proving that the laws that had been implemented had been nothing but mindless twaddle as the officers did not even look like they knew what a rogue AI platform looked like. Shepard mused that they probably could not even recognize a _geth _if they saw one.

So all of them were headed in separate directions, aiming to reunite at the ship in three hours time. Plenty of time for the four of them to grab a bite to eat and hold a decent conversation afterward.

In the small cube, Shepard sighed at the turian's complaint, "You know, we _are _traveling at hundreds of miles an hour, Garrus. It just so happens that this station is so massive that our ridiculously high speed doesn't really matter."

"I don't care. They still should be _faster_."

Liara rolled her eyes, "Shepard, can I hit him?"

"Be my guest," he allowed.

A short while after a thud and a "_ow!_" reverberated around the lift, it decelerated and opened its doors to wash its inhabitants in a world of neon.

"Oh, _wow_," Tali gasped.

The floor was streaming with people as they hustled in all directions. The gleaming floor glowed from frequently shifting lights and the ceiling extended endlessly on as holographic advertisements lit up the place like a perpetual sun. Slot machines lined the alleyways, restaurants filled the corners, and a large casino stood in the distance, a great beacon that drew unlucky patrons toward it so that they could lose money, but have a fun time doing so.

"All these people," Garrus tugged at the collar of his shirt nervously, "And me without my armor. I feel so exposed."

"Shut up, Garrus, and help me pick out a place to eat," Shepard barked as they quickly evacuated the elevator, getting caught up in the bustle of the place. Their heads swiveled to and fro as every one of them frantically sought to spy out a place that catered to all of their needs.

They dodged a group of people just standing in the middle of the path, walking another block before Garrus tapped Shepard on the shoulder. He looked over to see the turian point at a place called "Ryuusei."

"I've read that that place serves both levo and dextro food there," Garrus offered. "It's supposed to have gotten rave reviews from the local press."

Shepard was amused, "And exactly how would you know that? All I see you reading is trade magazines that specialize in exotic firearms."

Garrus shrugged, "It's those damn popups whenever I browse on the extranet. I got to reading one and I guess this place stuck in my mind. They're supposed to have an asari chef here which is one of the reasons they have a slant on seafood here."

"Well, I hope you have a plan for getting in," Shepard said as he eyed the line that stretched out the door, filled with hungry patrons, "Because it looks like it will take the rest of our natural lives just to get in the building."

Garrus snorted, "Have a little faith, Shepard." Turning on his heel, the turian walked straight past the line, down the steps towards the maitre d'. Shepard, curious at Garrus' boldness, followed with Liara and Tali alongside him.

At the foot of the stairs, the little bald man regarded the turian as he approached. "Good evening, sir," he said in such a heavy French accent that it sounded fake, "Do you happen to have a reservation for today?"

"For me?" Garrus said with mild amusement, "No. But my friend was hoping you would make an exception." He stepped to the side to let the man see Shepard coming up from behind. He recognized the commander instantly and scrambled to procure four menus at his desk.

"Ah...Commander _Shepard_? I had no idea you would be coming by today. Please, follow me and don't hesitate to ask for me if you need anything!"

"This was your plan?" Shepard whispered to Garrus as they walked between the tables as the man ahead cleared out a path, some of the customers taking furtive glances towards them. "Drop my name and hope for the best?"

"What?" Garrus shot back, "We're here, aren't we? No way am I waiting in that line until the end of the war. I'm _starving_."

Tali and Liara had been overcome at this point with a bout of the giggles, enjoying the banter between the human and the turian as they argued over the merits of taking advantage of Shepard's status as a war hero. At least to Tali, it gave her a sense of pride and admiration at seeing Shepard trying to be as modest as possible.

Glancing down, Shepard was intrigued to realize that the floor was actually one enormous fish tank. Koi of various shapes and sizes floated past along with a few other species that Shepard had never seen before in his life. Most likely they had been taken from other worlds and all combined into one big reservoir. The proper research on these species living together probably was done rather hastily as he could see a moray slither from the side and snap up a colorful fish in an instant which he guessed probably was not supposed to happen. Typical facade, it was all supposed to look nice but have no real purpose in hindsight.

The staff went way out of their way to have the table looking spotless before they set eyes on it. The chairs were pushed in as everyone sat down. With another spout of endless pontification, the waiter gave an over-the-top bow before backing out of sight. Shepard's face was locked in a state of confusion as Garrus chortled.

"Not bad," the turian sounded smug. "I could get used to this."

"Even I have to admit," Tali said, "That was pretty sneaky."

"But look at these chairs!" Garrus prodded the back, "Leather! And I initially gave Joker a hard time for him making a big deal out of his pilot's seat but now I understand why you humans hold it in such high regard."

Before Shepard could respond, their waiter was over to take care of their drinks and food. After some fumbling with the menus, they all ordered and the man left them in peace once again. Shepard declined to make a big deal out of Garrus' slightly unethical decision. He had to concede that for all he had done for the Citadel, he most likely deserved an instant seat at a nice resturant at least _once_.

"Ryuu-sei," Garrus squinted at the overhanging sign, sounding out each syllable. "Doesn't sound like a human word I've ever heard of."

"Technically, you've never heard me speak a word of English to you," Shepard pointed out, referring to the translator programs embedded in their omni-tools, enabling Garrus to hear only the turian language from everyone's mouth, regardless of their origin. "But the word itself is Japanese, it means 'shooting star.'"

"Just how many languages do you _have _on your planet?"

"A lot."

Garrus twitched his mandibles, "How did you humans ever survive without translator programs?"

"Not well," he admitted.

Their drinks were brought over very quickly. Shepard moved his items out of the way to make room for the pinot gris that the waiter set down. In front of Liara, he placed a deep blue drink in a tall flute. Tali received a screwball glass filled with a dark red substance, a turian rum cocktail of sorts. Garrus, on the other hand, received a large drink the size of a fishbowl, colored orange and boasting a little paper umbrella on top near the straw. The turian looked delighted but Shepard had to fight not to gag from laughter as he sipped his wine.

"I didn't realize we were planning a _beach _excursion anytime soon," Shepard chuckled.

"At least I didn't choose such a _boring _drink for lounging in a study," the turian scowled as he began to slurp through his straw.

"You wait and see," Shepard shrugged, "This perfectly complements the meal that I ordered."

Garrus waved a hand in dismissal before glancing at what Liara was drinking, pointing at what was contained within its depths. "Is the fish supposed to come with the drink?" he asked, astounded.

The asari gave a quick glance to the genetically modified minnow swimming around her glass before giving a secretive wink and proceeded to continue on with her drink. Tali laughed at Garrus' expression and slid a straw into a slot underneath her vocabulator as she too started to drink.

The warmth of the wine was very soothing to Shepard, even if it was not going to impair him in the slightest. He savored the taste in his mouth, letting the faint hints of crisp apples and cinnamon come out in a gradual swirl. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying their drinks as well. Tali was happily tapping her foot as she took careful draws from hers, Liara took measured sips while smacking her lips, and Garrus took large swigs and made audible grunts as the alcohol hit him like a freight train.

Liara looked amused as the turian winced and coughed, chuckling, "Can't take you anywhere, can we?"

"Bite me, T'Soni."

"I'll pass, thank you."

Interrupting the banter, the staff arrived to distribute the plates of food amongst the four of them. Shepard nodded in approval as a set of sushi rolls containing several different types of fish was set in front of him, along with a few small bowls for the dipping sauces, wasabi, soy, and some vinegar-based dressing. Tali received two medium sized tubes containing carefully shredded fish and vegetables doused in a savory sauce, dextro chilarity of course. Liara was presented with a fried calamari dish, containing within the pile of strips a set of live wriggling eels, their slimy skin making them slippery to the touch. Garrus, glancing at Liara's dish, looked rather perturbed until a simple bowl was set in front of him, containing a trio of live Palaven blue crabs that tried to scurry up the smooth surface.

Garrus grabbed a knife and immediately sunk it into the nearest crab's head, the crustacean going limp almost immediately, barely twitching after that. He repeated the process for the remaining two and proceeded to chop off a claw to tear into the sweet meat inside.

Liara calmly raised one of the eels to her mouth, still alive, and sucked the whole thing down. Garrus dropped his fork for a second before scrambling to pick it up, staring the whole time. Focusing on the main dish in front of her, she began to dig into her squid with gusto as the greasy cooked flesh crackled when she cut into it.

Tali reached for one of the tubes and inserted the straw into her slot. Sucking up a healthy portion of the meat inside, she exclaimed around a mouthful of food her pleasant surprise. It was quite possible that she had never partaken in anything this delicious in her life. Swallowing, she sucked a little more vigorously at the straw, trying to cram more food into her mouth. But, she managed to relax in the middle of an enormous bite and chewed more slowly, savoring every taste as she started to calm down. Gulping down her enormous portion, she sighed in relief before sucking up more of the fantastic concoction with a little more sensitivity this time.

Once Shepard was sure that everyone was satisfied with their meal, he picked up a set of chopsticks and selected a salmon roll, dipping it in soy sauce before chowing it down. The fish had a very distinctive flavor and the sauce gave it a very salty taste. This was probably all more food than his body could process at a time but he could always flush it out manually when he had the time. Besides, this was a nice place to eat, and any opportunity to eat food outside of the Normandy's mess was one that should be seized at all times.

The rest of the time was spent in silence as everyone ate their food but it was by no means lonely for all of them. Shepard and Tali kept on stealing glances at each other while Garrus would alternately take the occasional glimpse at Liara's writhing eels and turn away, looking sick. It was an odd group, the members at this table, but they had all known each other for so long that it ultimately did not matter to any of them.

Shepard smirked as he washed a piece of cod down with a gulp of wine. Look at them, a human, a quarian, an asari, and a turian. All were from different walks of life and yet here they were, sitting at the same table, sharing a meal. What would any of their ancestors have said if they knew this would happen? Would they be pleased, apprehensive, or disgusted?

It ultimately did not matter. The people he surrounded himself with were his dearest friends and that was the only answer in this situation. Could he have predicted that he would be best friends with a turian and an asari as well as beginning a relationship with a quarian after getting rebuilt from the ground up? If a drill instructor had yelled this in his face during boot camp, he would have scoffed out loud. Fate, it seemed, had a way of making life unpredictable.

The empty plates were soon cleared away and the group resumed chatting (after shooing away the waiter who came back to offer dessert, to which all politely refused) in their playful tone. Tali leaned back in her chair, stomach full to bursting. She could not recall a time when she had been so utterly satisfied with her meal in her life. She made a mental note to visit this place again.

As the evening continued, Shepard and Tali gravitated to holding hands underneath the table, laughing together as Liara endlessly mocked Garrus in front of them. Their fingers intertwined together as they slowly undulated, squeezing each other's hand as they explored the foreign shape. Shepard enjoyed the feeling of his five fingers encasing her three and Tali felt a jitter each time he smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand. Both of them were completely content, all memories of the war pushed far out of their minds, comfortably out of their heads.

"So...'Archangel,' really?" Liara laughed. "I mean, I do like code names but that one seemed a little..._extravagant_."

"It wasn't my fault!" Garrus protested, waving his glass, "I only rescued some woman from getting mugged on Omega and she called me a 'guardian angel.' I'm guessing someone picked up on it and the name began circulating."

"Oh, well at least you weren't called just 'Angel,' you would have been the most adorable hitman the station had ever seen."

Garrus looked at Shepard for support, his expression completely miserable. Shepard just smiled and shook his head, "Stop using your puppy-dog eyes at me, Garrus. It's about time that you got your smug ass handed to you anyway."

Not finding any help, Garrus went on the attack, "Well, I didn't see _you _helping out at all on the quarian liveship, or Freedom's Progress, or Horizon. What happened _there_, Dr. T'Soni?"

"Tali told me why. Apparently you told Shepard that I was working for the Shadow Broker and was not to be trusted, so he declined to pursue after me at the moment. Is that how it happened?"

"You..._w-what_?" Garrus turned to Tali, appalled. "You told her I said that?"

"Tali tells me a lot of things," Liara confirmed as Tali gave a meek shrug. "We actually can't resist swapping all the dirt we get on you. In fact, we even received a few tidbits from Shepard here..."

"Oh no," the human waved a hand, "You leave me out of this, Liara."

"This was a damn setup," Garrus muttered grumpily. "I should have known…"

The rest of the table continued to laugh at the poor turian, Shepard the loudest of all until he saw a glow coming from underneath the table. Confused, he raised it and saw that he had received a message marked "urgent." He opened the file and read its contents, eyes narrowing in response. Tali watched him curiously as he put his arm down before abruptly standing, setting his chair aside.

"Guys," he said as he threw on his jacket, "I'm sorry to have cut the day short but I have to go. The asari councilor wants to see me immediately."

Liara leaned forward, taking a break from ribbing Garrus, "Did she say why in particular?"

"No idea. Just that I had to come right away."

Garrus nodded, "Well, we were almost done here anyway so it's not like you ran out on us."

"I'm really sorry, guys. I truly am."

"Shepard," Garrus said as he rose to meet the human, shaking his hand "You haven't done anything wrong. We've all had a great time, every one of us. I just wanted to thank you for inviting me along." He leaned in a little closer, "Although, if we do pass by here one more time, I'd be willing to join you for a drink so we can actually have some time to talk about more important topics."

"Like rifle scopes and other various modifications for your rifle?"

"Exactly. So if that time ever comes, just meet me at the bar."

"I'll hold you to that, Garrus. But you'll be buying next time."

"Fair enough."

Shepard walked around to Liara who also stood to give him a quick hug. She smiled as she scooted her chair back, "And thank you for inviting _me _as well. It's been a long time since I've had food other than the Normandy cook's...um..._sustenance_."

He laughed, "You can be up front about it. It's terrible. I figured that all of us have at least one decent meal fresh in our memories before we press on. No telling when the next five star restaurant will turn up."

"That is true. Or you can always hire a new cook."

"Can't. Too expensive."

"So you say," she smiled.

Tali was at him before he even walked in her direction. Her hug was full, pure, and snug as she nuzzled her head against his chest. He lovingly responded to her, feeling warm inside for having shown her another perfect day. Guess he would have to count today as a resounding success. They remained embraced for so long that Garrus coughed and raised his glass in a mock salute. Shepard rolled his eyes and parted reluctantly, but kept their hands connected in a solid grip.

Tali looked at him with shining eyes as she whispered, "Thank you for...for _everything_, John."

"Did you have a good time?"

"I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."

"Then that's a good sign. Really, I'm sorry that I have to leave so soon-"

"No one's blaming you," she waved a hand. "I'm just glad that I got to spend as much time with you as I did."

He stepped in closer and put a hand on the back of her head, "Things _will _be different soon. That I promise."

"You do have a good track record of keeping your promises," Tali smiled under her mask. "And this one is not as unrealistic as many you have made before. I will look forward to that day, whenever it comes."

"Thank you." Before departing, he dug in his pocket for a small plastic rectangle, to which he pressed into Tali's hand, a credit chit. "Would you mind paying the waiter for me?"

"Would you believe it if I said that I would do anything for you?"

"So, should I take this as a 'no?'"

"_Bosh'tet_," she flicked at his arm, "Now _you're _just being difficult."

He playfully waved his hands, "Can't resist, sorry. It really doesn't take much for you to telegraph the fact that you're hopelessly in love with me, right?"

"That may be true," she responded just as merrily, "If _you _weren't telegraphing the fact that you're hopelessly in love with _me_."

"Guilty as charged."

Tali felt her knees weaken, feeling very much like a little girl with a whopping crush. This was certainly too good to be true, right? That she had found the one for her? All of this and more, did not point her elsewhere, but to the man who was gazing serenely at her and embracing the love she poured out from her heart and fed his own back to her.

How could she be so lucky?

"You…" she felt her breath catch after a quick laugh, "You should probably go."

"Okay," he said quickly before kissing the back of her hand, ignoring Liara's giggle and Garrus' snort. "I'll see you back at the ship in about an hour if this doesn't take too long."

Watching him ascend the top of the stairs, Tali slowly sat down as she fiddled with the chit in her fingers, Garrus and Liara becoming absorbed into the background. She spun the little rectangle on the table, feeling an odd absence from Shepard's departure. But she let that fact cause her to beam in realization.

Two parts of the same whole. They truly were meant to be together.

* * *

Shepard's euphoria had faded by the time the elevator reached the embassies. Putting on a wholeheartedly disinterested face, he walked through the throngs of anxious politicians as he made for the offices on the right side of the floor.

It was an odd request, the asari councilor asking him to meet in Councilor Udina's office. Or as it should read, _ex_-Councilor Udina's office. There were two guards adorning the locked door as he approached. The councilor must already be inside. The turians straightened as he approach and unlocked the door for him to proceed. Giving a respectful nod, he walked on through and faced the asari as she stood in the middle of the room.

"Commander," she began gracefully. "I apologize for having contacted you on such short notice but this is too important."

Shepard was still a little apprehensive, "Too important to discuss in the Citadel tower?"

"The nature of what I'm about to tell you is too sensitive for anyone listening in. This room is secure enough."

"Rather odd, to pick the office of a man who threatened to kill you, don't you think?"

Tevos shuddered, "The memory of which I hope to be purged quickly. But that is why I asked for you, specifically."

Shepard said nothing but let her continue on as she gestured for him to sit down across from her. Sinking into the comfortable chair, he listened as her face was bleak, "In addition to saving me, as well as the Council, I don't think that there is anyone else who can be trusted with this sort of assignment. Not to mention you helping to cure the genophage _and _ending the war between the geth and the quarians."

"Are those last two cases _bad_, relatively speaking?"

"Not at the moment," she admitted, "But it also showcases that you have a knack for achieving the impossible. It's just that I wish I had come to you sooner…"

_Come on, get to the point._

"What do you want to tell me, councilor?"

Tevos leaned forward, "Our engineers have reported that construction on the Crucible is going well, apart from you missing one specific component."

"The Catalyst," Shepard whispered. "What do you know?"

The asari merely slid a datapad across the small table in his direction. He picked it up and it flared to a point on a map on Thessia, the asari homeworld. He squinted in confusion, "What is this I'm seeing?"

"That is the Temple of Athame, a relic of our past."

"What exactly is the significance of this temple?"

Her voice dropped an octave as she gave a few nervous glances around the room, "What I'm about to tell you is classified intelligence. You cannot whisper a word of this to anyone outside this room-"

"Councilor," Shepard interrupted, "With this war looming overhead, I make no promises. You've already played your big hand by revealing to me a location of interest, what it contains will be revealed to me eventually, whether I go there and find out for myself or you tell me right here. In each case, I do not consent to keep quiet about such matters if I find out that they are extensively significant."

Tevos' face flashed in annoyance before she relented, "All right, commander. What I know is that there is something inside the temple that may be able to point you to the Catalyst's whereabouts."

"And what would that be?"

She faltered for a second before continuing, "A Prothean beacon."

Shepard blinked, "A _what_?"

Tevos hung her head, "I swear...I didn't know that it would come to this…"

"How long have the asari known about this beacon, councilor? _How long?_"

Defeated, she gave a shrug, "A long time."

Shepard glowered as he sat back in his chair, "So...you mean to tell me that the asari have been using a Prothean beacon illegally for god knows how long and you think that I can glean information from the secret that you've kept?"

"It...it wasn't illegal until the Council was formed…"

"But you still chose not to divulge it anyway! I bet I can guess _why _the asari have always been more advanced than the other races in the galaxy. You've just been taking the knowledge of the beacon and keeping it for yourself." Shepard rose to his feet, furious, "And the fact that you have enacted sanctions on humanity in the past for attempting to keep Prothean technology for ourselves is despicable in its own right. You've been hoarding valuable resources and smirking like a bully when we were caught doing the same thing, as if we were below you all this time!"

Tevos looked up at him and Shepard saw what his fury had caused. A few trails of tears ran down her face as she struggled to breathe, "I...I fully regret the things I have done in the past. The decision was made to assert asari superiority..."

"And boy, did it backfire! I only hope you haven't come with me too late with this information otherwise we are all well and truly fucked." Incredulous, Shepard started to make for the door before turning around one last time to look at the tearful asari sitting on her chair. "You do realize that when this is all over, councilor," Shepard said with all seriousness, "There will have to be an accounting for what the asari have done."

"I know, commander," Tevos replied miserably. "I'll probably be ousted from my position and we will be faced with reparations for years to come but it will all be truly deserved." She looked at him through her watery eyes, "We deserve your retribution."

Shepard shook his head, completely incensed but strangely pitying the woman sobbing in front of him, "Councilor, I do promise you that I will make sure that the asari will not be penalized as harshly as you might imagine. But everyone _will _know what you have done. That will be punishment enough."

He strode back to the door and was about to step through when Tevos spoke one last time, "I...am very sorry, commander."

He did not even turn around as the door started to slide shut behind him.

"I'm not."

* * *

_**A/N: 200,000 word goal reached. Damn.**_

_**But now, we are nearing the endgame of this story. It should be completed by the end of the month if I concentrate hard enough.**_

_**Heh, I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve.**_


	32. Chapter 8: Twist of the Knife

The crown jewel of the galaxy.

The apex of democracy.

The beating heart of galactic love.

None of Thessia's nicknames particularly described the planet well from Shepard's point of view as he stood on top of the ruined highway. The rising smoke obstructing his vision combined with the hazy red sunlight cast a bloodied look about the place. For being a place with a remarkably low rate of conflict, those averages were sure to skyrocket after this war was over.

More like the crown jewel of rubble at this point.

Thessia had the distinction of containing the largest economy in the entire galaxy, boasting that the wealth of the asari empire was numerous enough to buy out the turian and human hierarchies and still have change left in the bank. It was probably thanks to their hoarding of Prothean technology that enabled this extra rung for the asari to climb, that and the historical fact that the asari had been purposefully uplifted by their benefactors directly, influencing their climb to the peak of galactic civilization, their own apex, the peak untamed by any other.

The immense landscape was certainly not as striking as the species themselves, but it did have quite a unique style. At least where the capital city was located, Shepard could see no green areas. Every single inch of ground had been completely covered by smooth metal structures in order to facilitate the planet's rapidly growing population.

It begged the question that the asari were eventually going to run out of space at a much quicker rate than humans, due to their extreme pace at which they procreated combined with their abnormally long life spans, that how much further could they go with regards to expansion? The only logical answer was that the only place to go was up at this point. Gigantic, curved skyscrapers extended towards the sky like metal fingers, blotting the horizon as the rays of the sun glittered amongst them. Had the view not have been spoiled by the sounds of explosions and screams, maybe then it would have been a breathtaking sight.

The beating heart of a planet in arrhythmia.

Unfortunately, all of the asari's wealth could not prepare them for the horror that would be thrust upon them. Ravaged by destruction, the planet smoldered as the Reapers lay waste to the asari in their casual manner, battering through their defenses like cutting through butter. The entire might of the asari military was no match for this kind of all-out assault. Their arrogance had gotten the better of them in this situation.

Towering well over the tallest skyscraper that anyone could see, Reapers casually marched to and fro among the structures. They appeared to tiptoe with their gait, despite the fact that every placing of an appendage sent shockwaves for miles. Oftimes, they would ignore the fact that a building stood in their way as they marched forward without heed, their immense mass plowing through them, sending an endless stream of rubble, dust, flame, and people crashing down to the ground in a horrendous roar.

Shepard winced as an asari hit the ground meters ahead after falling half a mile from above. The body had been completely smashed against the pavement and he tried very hard not to look at the rapidly spreading pool of blood amidst shards of skull as he kept going. Liara faltered for a second before he pulled her back, gently escorting her away.

Mantis gunships streaked by overhead, accompanied by the whistling of missiles and the howl of Reaper harvesters, giant winged creatures that ejected a hot mass of plasma as well as troops from within its cavernous depths. These flying tanks were like mobile shuttles, each one had the capacity to carry almost two dozen husks within their bodies. From the looks of things, they were proving to be quite the annoyance with the military.

Commandos rushed by them, shouting into their comms for air support. Vanguards struggled to maintain biotic barriers as several cannibals began crawling over the sides, immediately firing upon them. Caught up with the group, Shepard shot a modified batarian in the face and it toppled over the edge, sending it a few stories down.

Tali vaulted up to a side garden to reach the area where a ravager was pinning everyone down. The Reapers must have found the rachni colony after they had been spirited away by Shepard, which was the only explanation for why modified rachni were even present here in the first place. It was a horrible thought that the queen's solemn reply never to return had been broken, but it was not of their own will that they were doing this. The spider-like creatures balanced ungainly on their skinny appendages, their bodies bloated as infected workers resided within. The blue wiring on their heads shone painfully and their electronic warbles were pitiful to the ears. They could be forgiven.

Tali mercilessly fired her shotgun, displacing the ravager's head but bursting one of the sacs that bulged on its side. Immediately hundreds of tiny rachni workers scurried out, glistening with pus, causing Tali to jump backward in horror. She hated bugs with a passion.

A commando sporting a krogan flamethrower came to her aid, sending out a long pillar of flame with a _whoosh_. The tiny arachnid-like aliens were completely vaporized by the intense heat, their bodies crumbling as the asari waved the weapon back and forth. Training the flamethrower upward, she checked the ash-streaked ground to see if any of the little bugs had survived. Giving a thumbs up to Tali, she returned the wave before a stray bolt struck the commando's tank and the asari vanished in a burst of flame and meat.

Blood frosted on Tali as she stood in horror, looking at where the commando had stood last. Behind her, Liara cried out in horror as she shoved her hand forward, catching the marauder who had fired in a deadly push, sending it skidding along the floor until it impacted with a wall, caving its head in.

Shepard ran over and shook Tali's shoulder hard, she numbly glanced back and forth before the setting flared back to her. A door on the side of the street offered a brief respite from the action outside. All three of them ran to it and felt a blast of heat on their backs. A harvester had flown out of the sky and razed the overpass they had been standing on only moments ago. Everyone on it had been completely disintegrated, the street starting to smoke.

The three of them started to head to the door before the most horrific scream any of them had ever heard in their lives emanated from the entrance and a tall, thin form floated out. It was more than twice as tall as an average human, horns grew from its head like branches, its belly was swollen as if it was with child, and the thing's breasts hung loosely. Come to think of it, the creature looked like…

"An asari," Liara gasped, her weapon trailing downward, "Oh, goddess...no…"

The banshee wavered with energy and it suddenly seemed to teleport a few meters ahead of where it stood. The Reaper host still had the ability to use biotics, it seemed. It continued to jump in random intervals but Shepard and Tali were already firing on it.

"Liara, what are you waiting for?!" Shepard yelled at the dumbstruck asari.

The bullets glanced off the biotic barrier but at least it was steadily faltering. Seemingly frustrated by this development, the banshee howled as it lifted a hand after it analyzed the weak link in the squad, creating a bright white ball of energy that shot from its body and headed towards Liara, fizzing and crackling as it passed through the air.

Shepard broke off his attack as he tackled Liara to the side, the ball just barely missing the both of them. Lying on the ground, he drew his pistol and let off several shots to the banshee's head, finally breaking past the barrier as it strained and snapped with a spark. Not letting up, Shepard fired again and the slug passed cleanly through the ex-asari's forehead. However, that was not enough to put it down and it slowly walked forward, raising its arm to strike again.

"Oh no, you don't!" Tali cried as she sprang forward. Her shotgun blazed as she racked the slot twice in quick succession, firing two fused slugs in a fiery hot burst. The carnage assault blew the banshee up as it hit the middle of its inflated torso, showering everyone with a sticky, black substance. Tali helped Shepard get Liara to her feet and soldiered on, shaking off the shock that they had earned from facing down their first Reaperized asari.

They climbed up the gantry that lead to the door and it opened them to reveal a crumbling room, completely displaced by the ongoing warfare. But it was free from enemies and they needed a break. They rushed in and closed it behind them, Tali taking the time to override the lock so no more Reaper lackeys could surprise them from that way.

Liara let out the sob she had held in for the duration of the fight, "My home...my home…" She sank down to a jutting piece of rubble as she stared out in disbelief, her expression one of complete shock. "How...how could this happen? My people..._slaughtered_..."

Tali quickly walked over and encased the asari in a tender hug. Her hands smoothed over the woman's back, restraining her from shaking horribly once her whimpers had ceased.

"I know, Liara," Tali whispered, "I know. But it's like this everywhere. We can't save everyone…"

"_Why not?!_" Liara hissed angrily before she pointed at Shepard, "We've done it before, all of us! Stopping Saren, stopping the Collectors, we've saved billions of lives before, so why can't we do anything about it _now_? Why couldn't we have prepared more? Why..." She broke off, starting to cry a bit more heavily as her breaths came in sharp gasps, starting to bend down in grief.

"Liara," Shepard began, ignoring the rumbling from outside, "We...we may not be able to save everyone, but we can sure as hell save as many as we can. That's why we're here. We're doing this so the Reapers don't take one more soul than necessary."

She shook her head in denial, "There are...there are too many…How can...how can we go on?"

Shepard grasped her shoulder firmly, "Knock that tone off _right now_, soldier. This is a war. People die in wars. But if you freeze up here then it means _more _people will die in this war. I need you operational, Liara, if we're going to accomplish this mission." He waited until she gathered the courage to look at him, only continuing then, "Tali and I can't do this _without _you. We're your closest friends, Liara. We don't want to see you give in to despair."

Tali nodded earnestly, "It may be hard, Liara, but I recall Garrus saying something to me once. If, at the end of this, one person is left standing, then the fight would have been for something. We're fighting for that one person."

Liara angrily wiped her tears away, her hands clenching into tight fists as they balled in fury. Taking several deep breaths, she stood, her eyes raw, "You're...you're right. Both of you. I'm sorry, Shepard. I'm sorry, Tali. I'm just...overwhelmed. I'll...I'll do better, I promise."

"You're doing better _now_. Don't let them break you and they can't win." Shepard hated to be blunt with the asari but he had to get through to her somehow. This entire conflict was a cruel test of wills, and it had already seen fit to shatter thousands in the wake of imminent destruction. Shepard had no intention of letting Liara, Tali, or anyone else in his crew crack under the enormous pressure. He would take it all for them before they could. Metal is stronger than bone, after all.

A few minutes after they had properly gathered their strength, they found themselves running in a courtyard in front of a large corporation. Creatures of all shapes and sizes popped up and were summarily put down as snipers on the balconies overhead took potshots at the incoming swarm. Bullets chewed at a small garden arrangement in front of Tali, uprooting a fern and covering her with soil. She yelped and ducked, plasma splattering all around her as two marauders stalked forward from an opening that led to the main road.

Liara, face set in a determined scowl, let a singularity flare just to the right of the foul aliens but it was too far off for them to be caught in its gravity vortex. They stopped and glanced at the pulsing, black orb before it was all over moments later.

Shepard ran forward from their blind side, grabbed a marauder's gun arm and wrenched his body to the side. The arm popped right off as the socket leaked black ichor. The modified turian did not appear to be in any pain until Shepard whacked it with its own arm in a vicious blow. It let out a yowl as it fell, its comrade turning to bring its weapon to bear.

The cyborg ducked over the shot and leaped forward, sinking his left fist into the creature's stomach. His fingers clenched for something to grab within its body but the diseased organs merely liquified to his touch, his grip becoming more and more slippery. Having enough with the growling of the turian in front of him, he forced his arm upward and burst the chest open as its skin stretched to allow the passage of his limb. A foul smelling liquid burst forth and the thrall collapsed in its own gore.

Shepard barely had time to hear a huge roar as a massive limb swung in his direction. He was knocked backward a few feet, smarting from the blow a bit, as the brute pounded its chest in a war cry, preparing for another charge. There was no time to go for his weapon so he had to dive out of the way as it barreled past him. Once he was clear, he had a few moments so he wasted no time in firing at the beast's exposed back, trying to penetrate through its thick armor.

The brute roared and whirled, tiny head swiveling around as it perceived the human firing upon it. The bullets must have felt like bee stings because they only served to make the brute more incensed. It lowered its head for another charge until a purple force snapped it to the side, taking its attention off Shepard as the new combatant burst into the fray.

Tears were streaming down Liara's face as she swung her arm several times in quick succession, the biotic blow pushing the brute further and further back. It roared in frustration as the asari advanced but could not move for she had placed a singularity in front of it, keeping it in place. The brute possessed no long-range weapons and Liara stayed carefully out of arm's reach.

The asari calmly shot her hands in all directions, brutally pounding the abomination into submission. She had passed her initial fears, all that was left was anger. Anger at her people for letting her down, anger for the Reapers for threatening her people with extinction, anger at herself for faltering when she had been needed most.

Swiping her hands down, two bright bursts, sharp as razors, sliced down and cleaved the brute's arms clean off. Before it could even register the pain, if the monstrosity could even feel pain, Liara brought her hands together in a wide arc and her biotic impulses followed her every movement. The two converging blasts met in the middle of the brute's head, completely smashing it, and sent blood and brains flying in all directions. The headless beast collapsed as its nervous system failed, no Reaper would control that body from now on.

"_Keelah_, Liara," Tali gasped as she caught up. "I didn't know you could _do _that."

Liara held up a faintly glowing palm, eyes wide, astonished, "You know what, Tali? I didn't think I could, either." She looked at Shepard as she smirked, definitely in a better mood, "Someone had to save your boyfriend, anyway."

Shepard gave a harsh laugh, "_Excuse me,_ T'Soni? I was doing fine there, actually. Not to say that I don't appreciate the assist but I was never in any real danger."

Tali rolled her eyes, glancing at Liara, "He _always _says that. He probably _was _in actual danger and is just too proud to admit it."

"Were you not watch-...just forget it," he grumbled theatrically, giving up. "The temple's just ahead. If we can run we can be there in five minutes."

"Thank the goddess," Liara breathed as they stepped through the huge hole in the wall left by a Reaper's imprint. To the left was a small path that trailed upward to a wide avenue. Bits of building littered their route and they stepped over the larger pieces of metal and the occasional body.

The temple was next to them but the entrance lay to the right of their current position. The road trailed around the entrance, curving to the left. There was really no reason to suggest an alternate route, especially with the direction of their objective so clearly defined in front of them. They started to move around the barricades before there was a howl and the road in front of them flared with red.

Bursting from the transport pod, a trio of husks started running at them. Unfortunately for them, their prey already had their weapons out and armed. Three bursts from three guns caught three heads. The husks had barely finished lying still on the ground before a harvester spewed out more enemies from its gut, attempting to overwhelm the pests before they reached the temple.

"Run!" Shepard barked, already moving to clear a path ahead. The husks rushed toward him but, in his attempt to save ammunition, he batted each enemy aside with vicious blows, crumpling the cranial areas of the husks as they charged. Fragile forms indeed.

As Shepard charged, Liara and Tali covered him from the cannibals vaulting their way over the guardrails toward their commander. Pieces of tissue were flung off as the bullets pushed aside bone and flesh, exiting messily out of the indoctrinated batarians. The sunlight caught the blood as it flew, shining amongst the glittering cityscape as it fell to the cold metal.

Bright red flames leaked out of a harvester's mouth as it landed right in front of the entrance, the last obstacle. Shepard skidded in place, trying not to slip on the slick ground. All nine eyes of the winged creature leered at him as electricity warmed up the soft plasma it was about to deliver. He braced himself, ready to dodge at a moment's notice.

All of a sudden, the redness turned a deep orange as the harvester's head exploded, blue electricity sparking from the wires embedded in its ruin of a neck. Shepard turned behind him to see a Mantis, marked with the asari republic colors, hover in place near the landing pad of the temple. He smiled and gave a quick, respectful salute to the pilot inside as it maneuvered away, acquiring a new target. Guess they really did have friends in high places. But what this meant is no more obstructions were lying in their way anymore. It was just as well, they had come too far to give up now.

The door to the temple was blocked by a security field but Tali had it down in moments with a hack provided by the asari councilor. All of them took one cautious glance around for any more enemies in the general area before proceeding into the dark place of worship.

Once inside, it took a few moments for Liara and Tali's eyes to adjust to the lack of light (Shepard's optics performing the necessary work in a blink) and they sighed in wonder at the actual size of the sanctuary.

The goddess Athame, in all her glory, stood tall and proud at the far end of the room. Clad in a simple dress, she looked up at the heavens, a giant projected for the mortals at her feet to be astounded by. Shepard did note that it did seem a bit more extravagant than any religion on Thessia he had heard or seen thus far but it did carry the traditional asari subtlety about it in an attempt to make the whole place seem a bit more restrained than a typical Earth-like church.

In Shepard's opinion, the place looked more like a museum rather than an actual temple. Rows and rows of Prothean artifacts, substituting for pews, lined the room. Priceless treasures, ranging from sculptures to simple paintings adorned these rows, their presence granting visitors a touch of the ancient, of the surreal. None of these, however, was the Prothean artifact Shepard was looking for, but based on the overwhelming evidence in front of him, he had a good idea of where to look.

Tali clutched her shotgun closely as Shepard walked determinedly towards the huge statue. "So...Liara," she attempted to strike up a conversation to combat the eerie atmosphere of the place, "How do you feel exactly about your people keeping this a secret from everyone?"

Liara did not answer for a second for she was busy poring over a totem encased in the corner. Protheans were Liara's first love, her doctoral thesis was made on them and she had been one of the first to suggest that the enigmatic alien race was part of a line of vanished cultures that lay hidden after millenia of data was forgotten, purged by some previously unknown cataclysmic event. This place must have seemed like a treasure trove to the asari.

She straightened up as she just now seemed to consider the quarian's question, sighing in annoyance, "How do I feel, Tali? My people have betrayed the sacred trust of the galaxy in our selfishness. All of this was brought on ourselves when we had the capability to prevent such a terrible outcome. Thessia is burning, Tali, and we _knew _this would happen! We knew...and we did nothing."

"I'm just saying...an intact Prothean beacon…"

"-Would have provided us with enough information to last a thousand lifetimes. And we exploited its information for our own gain. How would you feel, Tali, if your civilization had rose to where it was, not by altruistic deeds as previously claimed, but by deceit and scheming? I feel _violated_, to tell the truth."

Tali shrugged, "I probably will never know what that feels like Liara. I'm a quarian, remember? But, I am sorry for you. For all of the asari. Most of them didn't know what was going on until it was too late. It was no fault of yours."

Liara walked over to Tali and gave her a playful shove, like a friendly rivalry between sisters, "I know, Tali. But thanks anyway. I just hope...that we will be able to make amends for our mistake. I would hate to have the final memory of the asari be one of scorn, of disappointment."

While Liara was talking, Shepard was still walking up to Athame. His neck craned higher and higher as he followed the goddess' head with his own gaze. Interestingly, there was a faint pulsing in the air, like a headache but not painful. It was like a brief brush laid over his mind as a hidden presence fumbled for a connection.

There was no mistaking it. He had felt this before. It had only been twice since he had come into contact with Prothean beacons in his life but it was not a feeling he was going to forget easily. The pulse was turning into a steady throb as he approached the base of the statue. Shepard closed his eyes as the familiar company of the beacon came to him. It beckoned, like an old friend. It wanted to be revealed.

"Shepard?" Tali called as she jogged over to him. "Have you found it yet? The beacon, I mean."

He did not answer her query, his eyes focusing on the base of the statue as it seemed to whisper to him within his head, its volume like Tali's whenever she whispered to him alone in bed together. It was a quiet voice, a gentle voice, one that carried a hint of sadness.

"_Human. You carry the mark of a Prothean. Why have you come?"_

_You know why I've come. I need to stop the Reapers._

"_We too have tried to stop the Reapers before. All our efforts have failed. The ones who discovered this beacon did not try to understand our departure. They did not recognize the looming threat. Why have they sent for you?"_

_Because I believe that we can break the cycle of destruction. And I believe that you have the solution._

"_We have many solutions, but no questions were given."_

_Please. We need your help. Trillions will die if we don't get the necessary answers._

"_Trillions have died already. As have trillions in the past. What difference is trillions more?"_

_Because trillions after us can be spared._

"Shepard?" Tali asked again, cautiously, putting a hand on his shoulder in assurance. He was still for a second then shuddered and blinked before turning to a worried Tali. He grasped her hand and smiled, gesturing to the statue that towered over them.

"Don't worry, Tali." Shepard watched her look at Athame in confusion, wanting to see her reaction, "I _found _it."

With a harsh _crack!_ the stone face of the goddess splintered, a chunk falling tumbling off to land in the cavernous pit that lay situated below them. A few more lumps followed it downward and finally the entire structure split, large boulders crumbling off to reveal the glowing dark green pillar that had been embedded within the statue for who knows how long.

The Prothean beacon.

"Goddess," Liara breathed. "Hidden here all this time…"

The beacon pulsed with unseen energy and a tiny green pinprick appeared in front of it. Light gradually surrounded it as it increased in size, becoming a bright sphere with rings surrounding it. The hologram stuttered and sparked, covered in a perpetual static. It was as if all Prothean artifacts deteriorated heavily over time, as Shepard recalled the heavily damaged Vigil on Ilos, who had been unable to even take a recognizable form.

This however, was not the case as the sphere _bent _and morphed into a humanoid form. It turned in place, as if it was appraising Shepard, as if it could actually _see _him in front of it. The form appeared to be adorned in some type of armor, it was an angular but unrestrictive garb. Its joints were similar to that of a human, but it only had three fingers on each hand and two toes on each foot. Its head was also very distinctive, three sets of nostrils, two pairs of eyes, and a triangle shaped skull. It was a unique species that he had never seen before, but something was inherently familiar about it.

Tali apparently thought so too. "A...Collector?" she asked in confusion.

"No," Liara said, astonished. "A _Prothean_."

"_Reaper presence detected_," the hologram announced in a deep, rich voice. "_Extinction terminus of post-Prothean cycle confirmed_."

"_Keelah_," Tali gasped. "We're actually interacting with Prothean technology."

The hologram held its hands behind its back as it looked at Shepard, "_The answers you seek have never been sought out before until now. It may be too late to prevent the cycle's completion._"

Shepard held his tongue at the hologram's grimness. If it had the capacity to emote, then it certainly deserved the right to feel a little peeved after its creators had been extinguished so long ago. "We found the plans to the Crucible in the Mars Archives," he began, keeping things direct with the VI. "We need to know what the Catalyst is and how to use it."

"_Certainly_," the VI obliged. "_Though I must warn you that our own observations of utilizing the Catalyst as a power source were only theories by the time the project deteriorated. The outcome of the Crucible working as intended is unknown_."

"You mean you don't know if your own technology would work?"

"_The Crucible is not completely of Prothean design. It is the product of millions of years work and evolution from the countless cycles before it. Each has expanded upon it, each has improved it. And still the pattern of destruction has repeated. The Crucible has never been completed_."

"We still have a chance!" Shepard stepped forward, "The Crucible is almost complete. All we need is the Catalyst and then we can use it. What is it exactly, a battery? A rare mineral?"

"_Nothing of the sort. Your cycle refers to it as the Citadel._"

Shepard blinked in confusion. He was not sure he had heard that properly, "Say again?"

"_The Catalyst is the Citadel. The entire structure is responsible for the coordination of the entire mass relay network and can enhance dark energy transmissions. The Crucible was designed to unleash that energy against the Reapers."_

"How the…" Shepard was, for once, stumped. Liara also looked completely dumbfounded and Tali was wavering from side to side in anxiety. "The Citadel...you mean the Crucible was always designed to dock with the Citadel in the first place?"

"_Correct_," the VI continued in its even tone. "_The Crucible, by itself, lacks sufficient power to perform its desired purpose. The Catalyst performs two functions in this case. First, it enables the Crucible to tap into the Citadel's energy stores necessary for defeating the Reapers. Second, the Citadel is comprised of Reaper technology and it was discovered that only Reaper technology is capable of terminating Reapers in this manner, utilizing their own creations against them_."

Shepard's mouth was dry as he spoke quickly, "What kind of energy does the Crucible emit? Is it dangerous to all life?"

"_Unknown. However, it has been determined that any outburst from the Crucible will result in mass shutdown of all Reaper forces by triggering a systems overload. Their processes will all flare as one, overheating the core and vaporizing the very power source the Reapers run on. Although, activation will result in the deactivation of the mass relays all over the galaxy._"

"Why?"

"_In order for the Crucible to reach all over the galaxy, it must utilize the mass relays to transport the energy and disperse it evenly. The large influx of power will overload each relay and render them inoperable but the damage should not be substantial. The entire network has been simulated to have the potential to be rebuilt in one solar year given minimum population outcomes."_

"Not exactly a straight decision laid out for us," Liara mused. "But there's no reason why we shouldn't pursue it."

Shepard pounded his hands together, "It's the answer we were looking for so that's a solid mission accomplished right here. We need to get in contact with the Council and-"

"_Alert!_" the VI bleeped. _"Indoctrination presence detected. Initiating shutdown procedures."_

A bright light flared from the entrance of the temple, sending the darkness scattering. Liara threw up a hand to protect her from the glare as Shepard walked through the hologram, the orb retreating near the base of the beacon.

A Mantis was hovering near the entrance but Shepard did not guess that it was an asari transport. A figure was slowly walking towards them, the light bending around his shape as he gradually came into view. The bulky armor blocked most of the incoming illumination as he passed by row after row of artifacts before stopping in the middle of the hallway. With a flick of a switch, the helmet covering the man retracted and he craned his neck as he looked at the three people across from him.

"Leaving so soon?" the clone smirked.

Shepard's pistol was a blur as he snapped it up. He emptied the clip at his shadow standing across from him but they merely ricocheted off, the blue ripples from his shield smoothing and fading as they recovered.

The clone shook his head in amusement, "Unfortunate, Shepard. I'm surprised at you thinking it would be _that _easy."

Tali was at Shepard's side in an instant. "Oh, no…" she gasped. "It really _does _look like you."

The man on the end laughed, "Ah, so the quarian still lives. I had to see it to believe it, Shepard. Perhaps Leng knew more than he let on, choosing her as the one to go after."

"What are you?" Shepard scowled. "What are you even talking about?"

"Oh, _John_," the clone sighed mockingly. "When are you going to learn that nothing is as it seems? The pieces of the puzzle are scattered around you, it's your job to put them together."

Shepard was more confused than ever, "If you're really my clone, then we're on the same side. Why join Cerberus at all when you should know that they stand for everything I'm against?"

"Wrong again, Shepard. You see, Cerberus has owed me a debt as of late. The Illusive Man was responsible for my creation in exchange for my service. I will admit, it hasn't been easy following the will of my master, but the goal has been intoxicating, and the freedom has been a blessing."

"But why me? Why clone me?"

It shrugged, "A symbol, a statement, who can really tell? Even I am not let on to my master's machinations. He's had everything planned out from the start, including knowledge of this place. All obtained from the Mars Archives, you know? All we needed was someone to unlock the door."

"And has your master figured out a plan to take care of me? The only problem you face right now is the fact that I'm still alive. There can only be one Commander Shepard and you'll never be him."

A small smile crept across the clone's face, "Perhaps. But why not ask him yourself?" Holding its arm up, a beam of light shone from its omni-tool as the light morphed into the well-dressed man. He was lacking his trademark cigarette this time as he strode purposefully forward, stopping only inches from Shepard's face.

The Illusive Man ignored Shepard as he serenely gazed upward at the towering spire of the beacon. "It's almost a tragedy," he theatrically sighed. "The asari have known of this place for thousands of years and have done nothing with it. They never had the will or the nerve to discover all they could really learn."

Shepard gave a harsh laugh, "Just like you lack the nerve to face me in the flesh?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself there, Shepard. We both know that your reputation for violence would only result in you trying to kill me the first second you lay eyes on me." The hologram swept its hand backward, "Which is where _he _comes in. Crude, possibly, but your most glaring faults rectified. Equal to you in every way."

"Thanks for the support, sir," the clone sighed sarcastically.

"_No one_ is equal to him," Tali snarled as she accusedly pointed a finger at the hologram. "Your little science project least of all."

The Illusive Man quietly seethed, as if the prospect of an alien talking back to him infringed on his most sacred of beliefs. "I see the time you've spent in the commander's bed has given you some extra confidence, Miss Zorah. For a man of his stature, all credit given, you cannot imagine how disappointed I am."

"_I'll kill you_, you son of a-"

Shepard put a hand on Tali's shoulder, silencing her. "He's not worth it," he whispered. "None of them are."

"Yes," the Illusive Man mocked, "Listen to your commander, little quarian. No doubt he's taught you to sit down and shut up just like-"

"_You_ be quiet," Shepard now turned back to the hologram, anger tinging his voice, "Or I will make it my mission to hunt you down and slice off all your limbs with a spoon before I gut you."

"Brave talk. But words are not why I'm here." The hologram moved through Shepard as it gazed at the fizzing green orb that lay beyond. "This is why I'm here," he said.

"To destroy the Reapers?" Shepard asked, puzzled. "You do realize that there is no other outcome to this conflict other than killing them all, right?"

"Once again, I'm appalled. I have told you before that I have no intention of destroying the Reapers and I know where my answer lies. You are almost finished building it and it can provide me to the answers I seek."

"The Crucible?"

"Precisely. I believe that it has the answer to controlling the Reapers, a way to bend the Reapers to our will."

"Then you're going to be out of luck. The Crucible was not designed to control, only to destroy! We're both fighting for the same thing, only that you're too indoctrinated to see the truth!"

That had worked. The Illusive Man recoiled back at Shepard's words, a look of concern on his face. "That...that isn't true," the man stammered. "I am _not _indoctrinated. I would never let those machines so much as touch my mind. I only take what I need from them, nothing more. And I know that there is a way to control them. The Crucible has never been completed before so who's to tell what it actually does? Or perhaps...it's an option that the Protheans never considered in their designs. No matter, that hologram knows what the Catalyst is and I intend to find out what."

Shepard eyed the man across from him with an accusing glare. "You sound as Saren once did, voicing his own deluded goals when the truth was kept hidden from him. You've gone just as far as he did. You've let your own people get consumed by the Reapers so that you could achieve your own objectives. You've sacrificed your ideals to bolster your own hopeless quest!"

"The only hopeless quest I know of...," the man shrugged, "...is _yours_. Nevertheless, I don't care if you help me or oppose me. I will have that data and I will show you how deluded _you _have been this whole time."

Shepard drew his rifle, holding across his chest as he snarled, "Then come and _take _it."

"I plan to."

The light from the hologram winked out as a brief pair of booms sounded from outside. The Mantis was firing its missiles into the chamber, impacting on the tall columns, slowly crumbling them away. Shepard was about to shout something to Liara when there was a roar and a black blur was airborne, heading towards his face.

He threw his rifle up, instinctively, and a ferocious blow shattered in his grip, the casing falling in pieces to the ground. Shepard backed up, drawing his omni-blade as his clone rose from his leap, twin blades already extended as it kicked aside the remains of the gun.

The clone grinned, "_Now_ the party's just begun." With a snarl, he engaged as Shepard stepped to the side, arm moving upward to block the first swing. Watching for the clone's other arm to come around, he pushed off from his lock to come into contact with the other blade, sending it off course. He threw his arm forward to counterattack but the clone had recovered from the first block, blade meeting his as they clashed.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Tali and Liara scrambling in separate directions for cover as the place started to disintegrate around them. Tali threw her arms over her head to protect her from the smaller bits of falling rubble as she helplessly watched her lover lock weapons in single combat.

The Mantis fired in patient intervals, maneuvering from one side to the other so that it could line up a pillar with its missiles. Each streak produced a fiery bloom and another series of fresh cracks in the face of the building. Liara tried to lean out so that she could fire but its bright spotlight blinded her and its free-rotating gun had her pinned down for good, slapping the stone face with subsonic rounds.

What the Mantis could not fire on was the two opponents continuing to battle in the center of the temple. It did not have a clean shot, it could hit the clone. For now, the pilot ignored the two as he focused on dismantling the temple one rocket at a time.

The clone, after jumping back from a nasty swing by Shepard, glanced upward and grinned, "It seems that we are on a tight timetable."

"So it seems," Shepard sighed.

"Ah, well. Third time's the charm."

Before Shepard could ponder the meaning of that statement, the clone sprung off and was suddenly _right next_ to him, blades lowered down for a brutal thrust. Mustering all the energy and strength in his limbs, he leaped to the side as he rose his arm for a passing blow. To his amazement, the blade found its target. It skimmed the side of the clone's scalp, leaving a gouging red line but it seemed to be resisting cutting into the man further, somehow. He ducked into a roll as he exited his jump and whirled, waiting to see what kind of damage he had done.

The man across from him deactivated one sword as he put a palm to his face, checking his injury. A dark substance shone on his hand as it came away from his wound, but it did not seem to faze the clone in the least. To Shepard's amazement, the clone started _laughing _as he slightly turned his head so that he could properly see.

The right side of the clone's head was dripping blood, but where the omni-blade had touched him, it remained clear enough. There was no blistering white bone standing out against the bubbling liquid, but a gleaming black surface that shone, despite the lack of light. Unfamiliar bumps and grooves ran along the surface from where the skin had been gouged off, and Shepard's breath exited his body in realization.

Beneath the fleshy exterior, was something all too similar.

"You're...you're not a clone. You're just like me…"

"_Better_ than you," the cyborg with Shepard's face snarled. "I suppose I must thank you for putting me in this position, after all. Even though, I must say, I do so despise wearing the face of the man who tried to _murder _me."

Shepard was finding it hard to breathe, "What...who _are _you?"

"Still not ringing a bell? Did I really rate that low on your radar for you to forget me entirely? And after all that effort I went through on the flotilla to get you, only for me to inherit your mantle at the very end. Quite ironic if you think about it."

It all clicked. A bearded face, wild hair, standing over a bed in a medical bay as he taunted his prone form. The memories flowed like water into him, the stink of ozone, the crunching of metal as a blade tore through his shoulder, the adrenaline from the deadly duel, the feeling of his sword biting through flesh and bone…

"_Rukin…_" Shepard gasped. "You're...you're Rukin."

"About time, too."

The cyborg that was Rukin lunged forward and grasped Shepard's right wrist, preventing him from striking down. It appeared to analyze him for a second before he shot his fist out and it hit Shepard in the middle of the chest. There was a brief discomfort before the vibration through his organs fully hit and he howled in pain, sinking to the ground. Rukin was still holding his wrist in a death grip as he grinned.

"Same chassis, same abilities, Shepard. The difference is that I know every weak point whereas you..._don't_."

Shepard tried to wrench his arm out of Rukin's grip but the fingers still held tightly. The machine that held him shook his head, "No, no, no, Shepard. Not that easy. It's no fun when you're just an unbeatable force, now you have _real _competition."

Shepard shook his left arm and the command protocol enabled the omni-tool to shoot out a blade on that arm in lieu of his normal right. He scythed his arm across in an attempt to sever Rukin's wrist but the cyborg let go and leaped aside. But at least he was free now.

Shepard transferred his sword back to his right arm as he clutched his chest in pain, coughing lightly as Rukin paced back and forth, amused.

"A good show, Shepard," the man dipped his head as his features twisted in a cruel grin. "But you've delayed me long enough at this point."

Rukin raised his arm but did not point it at Shepard. Instead, he pointed it towards the hologram and streams of static-filled green lines began to connect the two together as the glowing orb grew smaller and smaller. It took Shepard a few times to realize that the VI was being copied over to the omni-tool. Rukin was getting the data.

He growled and raced towards the agent but he had been prepared for this all along. As soon as the data connection broke, Rukin's arm swung forward and batted Shepard across the face, knocking him to the ground. As he was about to spring to his feet, a foot from the man caught Shepard in his midsection and he found himself shooting across the ground. His momentum was halted as his back hit the edge of a cabinet containing a Prothean totem, but Rukin was now advancing, with an air of amusement.

Without warning, the advancing cyborg stopped, eyes widening, as a faint purple outline was slowly coming into being around him. He lifted his hands up as if he was acknowledging this new development. Slowly, Rukin began to rise in the air, held aloft by what Shepard now realized was a biotic lift. Sitting up, he saw Liara standing next to a pillar as her outstretched hand glowed azure.

Rukin struggled as he continued to rise, growling and snarling as he had no control over his own gravity. He tried to maneuver his body so that he could look upon Shepard and shout a curse, but before that could happen, his body was flung backward in a red-hot burst as a stray missile from the Mantis struck him, flipping him over as his body smoked.

The pilot, realizing what he had done, immediately turned his cannons on to full auto, trying to hit the asari for making him target his own commander. Liara, however, bravely weathered the hail of bullets as she ran across the the room to where Shepard was still trying to catch his breath. Tali, in the meantime, was lobbing blasts at the craft with her shotgun, trying to discourage it from its pursuit any further.

A nearby column collapsed, sending a cloud of dust through the area and harshly dropping the current visibility. A coughing Liara made her way to Shepard as she helped him to his feet, wiping away the annoying particulates.

"Come on, Shepard!" she yelled. "It isn't safe here!"

Numbly, he followed her as she started to lead him over to Tali. Penetrating the thick cloud, they had almost made it when Liara halted suddenly, a funny look on her face.

"_Yesss_," a deep voice hissed. "It really isn't safe here."

As the billowing grit parted, Liara stood frozen in place, a gleaming monster blocking her way. It was all black, the shining metal clicking as the joints came together. Its legs were large, the feet shaped like talons. The torso was lined and sturdy, but parted enough that Shepard could see the faint red glow of a synthsac embedded in its depths. But it was the head that was truly hideous. It had a pair of glowing red eyes, the nose was only a slit, the jawline was exposed as its mouth moved, enunciating every syllable with a _clack_.

It was who Shepard was underneath, the real nightmare within the legend. One and the same.

But Rukin was now encased within the same nightmare as the synthetic warbled in rage. Its eyes dropped down a bit, indicating for Shepard to look. The black arm of the endoskeleton was slightly jutting forward, a faint orange glow was surrounding it. Shepard craned his neck to see that Rukin had activated his omni-blade before speaking.

And it was embedded in Liara's chest.

"Ta-ta, Shepard," Rukin growled in a low voice before disengaging his blade, letting Liara slump to the floor at last. Taking advantage of Shepard's disbelief, he turned and ran towards the Mantis at the end, leaping up to it within seconds. Within moments, its thrusters fired and the attack craft zoomed away as Shepard fruitlessly chased it, running outside the temple onto the landing pad.

It had been so _quick_. Shepard watched the ship turn into a speck on the horizon before falling to his knees and roaring in rage, in agony. It was unthinkable, the fact that he and his squad had been torn apart just like that. That Rukin had succeeded in his mission, had made Shepard look like a complete fool, had stabbed Liara...

_Oh god, Liara._

Horror mixed with adrenaline shot through his body, his soul. Shepard ran back into the dank and dusty depths of the temple and found Tali bent over Liara's body, crying. He tripped over a few loose stones and crawled the rest of the way to where the asari was lying on the ground, her hands positioned over her chest. Shepard reached out a hand and she allowed him to see the wound.

The hole spurted a reddish-purple blood in even bursts, staining her white lab coat. Liara smiled weakly, blood starting to stream down her mouth. Shepard swept his omni-tool over her body as he struggled to breathe. It did not look good: a punctured lung and a nicked artery. There was too much internal bleeding for him to manage and there was not enough time to get her to a hospital in a safe zone.

They were losing her.

"I…" Tali mumbled through her tears, "I...tried giving her some...medi-gel. It...It...It didn't work…"

"_T-Tali…_" Liara barely whispered as her eyes started to glaze over, twitching a hand in the quarian's direction.

She clutched at it helplessly, "Y-Yes, Liara?"

The asari gave a weak smile through her bloodstained teeth, "Please don't...please don't feel bad…"

"Hush now, Liara," Shepard said, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "Don't try to talk, save your strength."

"It's...too late for...that now...John. May...may I call you John?"

Shepard held her other hand in reassurance, "Yes, you may."

Liara gave a spluttering cough, blood beading on her lips. Choking back a sob, Tali wiped it away, leaving her face clean. She smiled in response, "T-T-Thank you, Tali."

"It's n-nothing," she sniffled.

"Oh, Tali. I'm...so sorry that I won't be...with you for the end." The quarian could not take any more as she moved to cradle the asari's head as she steadily wept. Shepard smoothed Tali's back to help calm her as he stared at Liara's serene face.

Continuing, Liara gasped, "John...Tali...please forgive me. My place was...with you this whole time and...and now it's all over."

"L-Liara," Tali moaned, "Please don't go...I-I love you."

"I love...you too, Tali. And...I love you, John. You two have been...my closest friends that I've...ever known. I'm truly am grateful...that I got to know you."

"So are we," Shepard said solemnly, feeling dazed, everything seemingly blurry. "You have been a loyal friend, an unparalleled warrior, and one of the kindest people I've ever known in my life. There's no one else I know that I can say the same of."

Liara giggled softly, looking over at the quarian who still held her, "Well...there is perhaps...one other." Turning back to Shepard, her eyes were now moist with tears, "Please...promise me one thing, John."

"Anything," he said, watching Tali lift her head as her eyes wavered behind her visor.

"Keep her happy," she whispered, patting Tali's arm, "Stay with her...until the end. You both...need each other now more than ever."

Shepard so dearly wished he could cry, just break down and have the ability to act normal again, be a young man and go through all of the normal ranges of emotion. Tali certainly could, right now, she was rocking back and forth in her sorrow, softly moaning miserably.

He gave the asari's hand a gentle squeeze, "I promise."

Liara sighed, her eyes slowly trailing upward, her peace nearing its culmination. "Please...don't feel bad...for I know...that we...will…meet...again…"

With a final, quick intake of breath, it slowly trailed out of her as Liara's body relaxed in Tali's arms, her arms hanging loosely. Tali trembled violently as she howled her misery, Shepard closing his eyes in regret. He reached out and brought Tali over for a strong hug, one she had to be coaxed into before she threw her arms over his neck, sobbing as both of them could not form words. He let his head become buried in her shoulder, so that he could mask the pain that chewed at him, that gnawed at his very heart.

The silence became a hushed prayer as they mourned together, weeping for the most noble asari they had ever known. Liara would have been touched at how adored she was by her friends for she now carried their reverence as well as their envy.

A young soul, taken too early. This war's price was perhaps too steep after all.

* * *

_**A/N: Uh-oh. I did it again.**_

_**...Please don't kill me.**_


	33. Chapter 9: An End in Sight

The room seemed so small to Tali, as if the dimensions were slowly constricting on her, restricting the overall space she had to move. She did not know how long she had been standing in place, as her head turned every which way. Five minutes? Thirty? An hour?

The corners of Liara's bed were unmade, so she walked over and unconsciously smoothed the sheets out, straightening it in case it was to be used again. Finishing that up, Tali sat on the edge of the bed and eyed the door anxiously as she gripped the mattress, as if Liara would miraculously walk in and sit in front of her desk, just like if everything was completely normal.

But Tali knew deep down this was one change that could not be reverted, no matter how much she wished.

Tali, after waiting a bit longer, stood and slowly trudged over to the door, Liara's monitors tracking her every movement, columns of data scrolling by them as information blinked, waiting to be opened. Before leaving, she cast one last glance at the empty room, giving a small sigh as her body wilted. She could shed no more tears; those had run out when she had held the dying asari in her hands on Thessia. Tali could only remember the pitiful gasps coming from her dear friend as she lay mortally wounded, begging her to hold out for a little more as she sobbed over her.

Fate certainly was not doing her any favors as it seemed it was actively conspiring against her to take away every person she loved.

But she still had Shepard…

She wondered how he was taking the whole ordeal. The human had been very quiet on the shuttle ride back up. He had not said a word as the Normandy jumped out of the system, as Liara was respectfully taken out to be set in a cold coffin somewhere in the corner, as his friends stood in shock as the news was broken to them, that a good friend was now forever…_gone_.

Tali knew that James was busy working out in the shuttle bay, mercilessly pummeling a punching bag to relieve his stress. Joker was still seated in the cockpit but being uncharacteristically silent as EDI quietly analyzed his reactions. Garrus had locked himself in the main battery so that he could focus on his work and possibly also grieve to himself. He and Liara had never been as close as Tali was but she knew that there was still a deep bond between the two that had now been irreparably shattered. The turian was just doing what he felt was the only thing to do in this case: find something to take his mind off the pain.

Of Shepard, she had not seen him since they had arrived back on the ship. Taking the first instance, he simply headed for the elevator and disappeared from sight, not wanting to interact with anyone at all. She understood his need for solitude at the time and did not bother further pursuit, but it had been a long time now as she checked her chronometer and discovered to her shock that almost five hours had passed since their campaign on Thessia had ended. She wrung her hands together as she decided it was time to go looking for him.

"EDI," she said aloud, voice shaking somewhat, "Do you happen to know where John is?"

"_The commander is currently present in the lounge, Tali_," the AI responded. "_He has requested that no one disturb him_."

The lounge was conveniently on her level so she headed over, despite EDI's observations. As expected, the door was lit with the glowing red icon of a locked door. She stopped in front of it, tapping her foot expectantly as she spoke again.

"EDI, I'm going to need to access the lounge. I don't care what John ordered."

"_Commander Shepard was quite insistent that no one enter-_"

"EDI, please," she sighed. "He needs to be with someone right now. We both do. Open the door."

There was a brief pause of no more than four seconds, but Tali could tell that the AI had done some serious processing over the moral implications of the decision presented to her. Logic versus emotion was the battle here, the implications unknown.

"_Very well, Tali,_" EDI said smoothly as the lock turned green. "_But I will lock it behind you until the commander is ready for further interaction._"

"Thank you, EDI."

It was a rare occurrence that Tali would ever step into the lounge, now that she thought about it. All this time she had served on the ship and she had never found a proper reason to detour here at all. Sure, it had some plush chairs, a bar that happened to have dextro alcohol included, and a poker table of all things. If it were not for her splitting her time between her duties in engineering and relaxing in Shepard's cabin, then she might have resided here for a lot longer than she would have normally.

But oddly enough, Shepard did not even seem to be in the room. No one was sitting in the comfy chairs, fiddling at the poker table, or perched at the bar enjoying a drink. It's not like the room was large enough for someone to hide so easily. Tali was about to query EDI for Shepard's whereabouts again, running through the situation in her head that the AI might have been mistaken for once, when she heard a small sigh emit from _behind_ the bar.

Peering around, she was startled to see Shepard leaning against the counter on the floor, feet propped on the opposite side as he was wedged in what looked like a slightly uncomfortable position. His clothes were disheveled and his eyes were raw, as if he had been rubbing at them despite the lack of tears. In one hand he held a bottle of an amber colored liquid, labeled "Red Stag." Tali had no idea what a stag was but she surmised quickly that the drink looked rather potent, which was rather alarming because half the bottle had already been consumed.

Shepard craned his head upward to see her standing before him, looking away after a brief moment. "Tali," he mumbled. "How did you get in?"

She gave no words until she sat down beside him, pressing the side of her frame against his. "I'm…I'm worried about you, is all. Everyone is, actually. You've been stuck in here for a while."

He gave a long pull of the bottle he held in response. Smacking his lips, he grimaced, "I just can't look at their faces now. I…I don't want to see all their pain and shock at how…" He broke off as his he shut his eyes regretfully, "Even…even I still can't believe that she's…_gone_."

Tali leaned her body so that her head was resting on Shepard's shoulder, a comforting motion. "I know, John," she whispered. "I know. But don't you think that you're overdoing it a bit? I don't think that Liara would want you to mourn her but shutting yourself out to everyone and drinking in despair."

"It doesn't matter either way. I can't get drunk, remember?" With a harsh laugh, he raised the bottle to his lips again until Tali yanked it out of his hand.

"_Honestly_, John. You're not doing anyone any good with this. What possible outcome were you expecting if you can't drink yourself comatose in the first place?"

He accepted the abduction of his drink with an exasperated shrug, "Just because my body filters all the alcohol out quickly, doesn't mean that I can't get a brief buzz if I drink fast enough."

"And how has that worked out for you?"

"Well, I managed to get the room to start spinning for almost a full minute a few hours ago."

"That's enough of _this_, then," Tali said with finality as she set the bourbon on her opposite side. "Modified liver or no, I'm not going to let you turn to drink to hide your grief."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Tali grabbed his chin with her hand and forced him to look at her. Her voice was fierce as she spoke, "John, _listen_. Do you think you're the only one hurting? Liara was a good friend to you but she was like a _sister_ to me. And now that I've finished with my mourning, I can't even _cry_ for Liara anymore, John. I just physically _can't_, so how do you think I feel about that?"

"I don't know," he sighed bitterly, gesturing to his ersatz eyes. "How _do_ you feel?"

Tali gave herself a firm mental smacking. _Idiot, that was dumb of you_. "Bad example, John. I apologize. But do you think you're entitled to this? Just locking yourself up and shutting everyone out, including me. How do you think that makes me feel on top of what just happened?"

He covered his face with his hands. "I don't know, Tali," he moaned. "I just _don't know_."

"That's what I thought," she nodded sadly, placing an arm around his neck. "John, everyone is concerned that you're not talking. They want to know that their commander is well. They expect you to be torn up about Liara but they need _someone_ to help guide them through this. Trust me, everyone is devastated about Liara, John…and they don't know how to take it. They _need_ Commander Shepard."

Shepard banged his head against the counter slightly, grumbling, "And you, Tali? Do you really need _me_ to guide _you_ for this? You seem to have it all figured out, why is that?"

"Me?" Tali gestured in surprise. "I've been fortunate enough to have two wonderful friends that have guided me for a long time. Maybe it's only time that I inherit their mantle now. All I've done was remember what you and Liara said just a while ago. Both of you had the answers this whole time, to dealing with events like this, to coping and moving on."

"Which was?"

"That letting grief take over will not save any more people. That continuing to fight, even when things look bleak, will make all the difference. And…" she slid her left hand into Shepard's as she spoke, his grip jerking uncomfortably before he relented, "And that…I do need you, now more than ever. Just as you need me."

Shepard raised his free hand to his eyebrows, rubbing them in frustration as her words hit home. He felt like slapping himself, for being such a conceited idiot until he realized that Tali had done all the slapping for him. What was he to expect from all this, anyway? He knew that things were going to get rough eventually but was he truly prepared for how rough the going would get? Was he simply riding a wave of overconfidence, thinking that he would skirt through this war, unfazed just like always, and emerge from the other side with an enormous grin and the prospect of a normal life ahead?

No, he had to concede her point. There was the distinct possibility that things were only going to get darker and that he needed to stop and face reality. If he could not afford to be loath to his own mortality any more, then he needed to focus on the people who lived around him. The ones who did not deserve to join Liara. The dead could not be bothered any more, but they could be avenged.

He tapped his fingers against his leg in frustration, "And how long have I been in this position, exactly?"

"Almost five hours."

Shepard's body shot up. "What?" he gaped. "That long? _Really?_"

Tali could not tell if he was being serious or not. Maybe that alcohol had done more damage than he had let on. "Uh…really."

"Damn," he blinked, feeling more sober and certainly acting like it. "No wonder the crew's been worried. That was certainly a boneheaded move on my part."

"You're just noticing this now?" Tali was getting more and more incredulous by the second, disbelieving his rather abrupt attitude change.

Shepard groaned as he stood, stretching his limbs and rubbing his head. Tali still clutched his drink as she rose alongside him, throwing a hand on his chest to steady him just in case. To his credit, he only staggered slightly but welcomed the help all the same.

He gave a quiet laugh, "Some days I wonder what exactly you see in a broken old idiot like myself."

She responded just as playfully, "It's the days when you _don't_ act like a broken old idiot that I see a good man within. The man that I was smitten with the first time I laid eyes on him."

"Are you deliberately _trying_ to make me feel even more guilty?"

"I'm trying to _help_ you. I want for Commander Shepard to be the fearless leader that I know him as. I want for _John_ to be my guide and reassure me that everything will be all right. I need to know that Liara did not die for nothing."

His smile was held back by sadness, weighing him down like a pair of concrete shoes. The brief glimpse Tali had at the man who used to be full of life gave her hope in that amount of time before that man vanished, replaced by a weathered and tortured expression. The face of a man who had been fighting too long to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"I…" he gave a shrug, "I _know_ that Liara did not die for nothing, Tali. I can promise you that she gave her life for a cause that she believed in, that we _all_ believe in, that we have the ability to end this war once and for all."

There was something else, she sensed. "But…?"

He sighed, "But I cannot promise you that everything will be all right. I cannot promise anyone that our cause might be hopeless in every regard. Hell, I can't even promise that…"

_(Laughter came first, then a scream)_

"...that I will live to see it through, Tali. Surely you must know this."

She did not seem to want to accept this fact for she hugged him, her body pressing his back into the counter as she squeezed his torso tightly. Shepard patted the back of her head and Tali looked upward at his face. "Then promise me _this_," she breathed. "Promise me that you'll be with me the entire time."

Shepard gave a serene look, "Now _that_ is something I can promise."

Tali pulled away, most certainly smiling as she still grasped the half-empty bourbon bottle. "I guess that is as good as it's going to get," she shrugged as she produced a straw from one of many hidden pockets. Shepard eyed her apprehensively as she inserted it into the bottle as she connected it to the slot in her helmet. "Something to drink to, right?"

He scratched his head in confusion, "Uh…Tali? You do know that drink isn't dextro, right?"

"Does it look like I give a damn? It's the only thing within reach and probably the least dangerous threat to my health at this point."

"Even so, it may be too strong for you…"

"Then the hell with it," she gave an exaggerated shrug as the warm liquid surged up the thin tube. What happened next was like watching a train wreck for Shepard. Tali immediately gagged and spat out the bourbon, splattering the inside of her visor a murky brown. The bottle nearly slipped out of her hands as she violently jerked, coughing and choking as Shepard could only stare, astonished.

"Ack!" Tali managed as she spat out the remaining liquid from her mouth instinctively, "How the…how could you even _drink_ something like this? Is it _supposed_ to burn your mouth so badly?"

Shepard was still in disbelief at her reaction that it took him a while to finally change expressions, let alone make a sound. When he finally did, he had to grab on the counter to prevent him from falling because he was laughing so hard, the noise echoing around the small room. Tali glowered as the human fell into hysterics.

"It wasn't that funny, you know."

"I…did…warn…you!" Shepard said as he attempted to breathe. "What exactly…came _over_ you…to even drink that in the first place?"

"I don't know," she moaned in embarrassment, setting the bottle down on the counter. "Somehow, this is all your fault."

"Proper warning was given. You have no one to blame but yourself."

"Whatever," she glowered as Shepard fought to control his smirking. "Now my helmet smells like…I can't really describe it, but it burns my nose."

Shepard now initiated the hug as he brought the poor quarian over, assuaging her and taking her mind off her social faux pas. He was still chuckling as she began to laugh as well from his disbelieving reaction, causing him to laugh harder in response. "We should probably clean out that visor, there. I don't really think that it's a good idea for you to be breathing in all that alcohol after you…uh…spewed it all out."

"That's what I get for drinking with a helmet on," she sighed. "But all my cleaning stuff is in your cabin. Shall we go or do you want to wait until I asphyxiate from these uncomfortable fumes? Five more minutes and I reckon that I will be unconscious by then."

"Oh, Tali," he laughed, walking her over to the door as it unlocked. "My sweet, silly, Tali." She fell into his grip as they strode over to the elevator. Along the way, Shepard spied Garrus grabbing something to eat over at the mess and they locked eyes for a moment. Acknowledging the turian's blue stare, he gave a solemn nod to which Garrus returned back.

That was all that needed to be said between them, for the turian seemed to perk up slightly, eyes relaxing at the sight of Shepard. The commander moved into the elevator and held Garrus' relieved stare in his mind as the tiny box shot to the topmost floor.

He knew then that things would be just fine.

* * *

Hours later, Shepard stood in his dress blues, skin less clammy after that disastrous ordeal back in the lounge, in front of the projections of admirals Anderson and Hackett as they conversed. Shepard glanced at the map on the console to his left, detailing their location as dot after dot filled the screen before turning back to Anderson as the other man spoke.

"It's worse here than we thought. The Reapers have come to the system in force and they have brought something along with them."

He waved a hand and a projection of a bullet-shaped structure appeared in front of the admiral but Shepard could tell what it was, despite the altered appearance. Perhaps his own luck was just making fun of him whenever they seemed to make a breakthrough. For every step forward they took, the goal was snatched two steps away.

"The _Citadel_," he sighed. "Damn it, the Reapers knew it was the Catalyst all along and locked it down entirely."

"And so they moved it to Earth to protect it, is the current hypothesis?"

"It certainly stands to reason," Hackett said gravely. "There's no other tactical purpose moving the Citadel to the Sol system unless the Reapers knew what we have planned."

Shepard thought hard, "They have witnessed the Crucible being constructed before so it wouldn't be unlikely for them to recollect the significant components necessary for its completion, their own station least of all."

"Agreed," Anderson nodded. "Which is why you should call in all of your favors and send the fleets Earthside as soon as possible."

"Already done there, admiral," Hackett acknowledged, enlarging the map that Shepard had been previously looking at, the little red dots filling the blank void in front of them, indicating ships of different sizes and origins. "We've sent out the word. Thanks to Shepard's actions we practically have the whole might of the galaxy waiting to face these Reapers. There's literally no better time to strike. Every second we waste costs lives and a full frontal assault for our survival will justify us using all of our resources at once."

"When should we expect you?"

"Our current projections place it at sixteen more hours until we finish mobilization over here at Arcturus. Once that is completed, we will commence departure for the Local Cluster posthaste."

The dark man looked relieved, "Glad to hear it. What about you, Shepard? What are your current thoughts?"

Shepard tried to be as blasé as possible, "Well, it's like Admiral Hackett said. Our fleet strength is at its highest and the Crucible is practically completed. We've hit some rough spots but it's about time that we see this thing through to the end. The crew's been alerted, all hands are preparing for battle as we speak. All we need to do now is find a way onto the Citadel itself…"

"Way ahead of you, Shepard. Our scouting parties have reported that ever since the station initiated geosynchronous orbit, a beam has appeared in the middle of downtown London where we are, acting as a sort of spawn point for its troops."

"A beam acting as a spawn point?"

"That was our first reaction, but footage revealed that dozens of the thralls were simply walking out of it which means that the beam acts as a kind of transport to and from the Citadel. Right now, with the arms being in the lockdown position, it's our only option at this point."

Shepard leaned against the railing, "That's already looking at step seven when we haven't even gotten past step one. First we need to get down to Earth itself _without_ being blasted by one of the thousand Reapers in orbit."

"You've got a fleet, Shepard. And the best damn ship in the galaxy. You'll do fine."

"I hope you'll forgive me if your optimism isn't as contagious as you want it to be."

"Nevertheless," Hackett interjected, "Admiral Anderson has a point. With the Citadel in lockdown, we won't be able to dock the Crucible until the lockdown is lifted. That is our main objective, storm the beam, infiltrate the station, open the arms and hope for the best."

Shepard nodded at the plan before a thought came to mind, "Do we even know how to fire the thing? Did it come with a big red button for when the time is right or something?"

Hackett folded his hands behind his back, "Based on the schematics Dr. T'Soni uploaded, it appears that the Crucible will begin gathering the appropriate levels of energy once it has docked. When it has reached a certain level, it will automatically fire. All we have to do is hope that we didn't screw something up during constructing or if those Protheans weren't full of shit, pardon my French."

"I'm with you there, admiral," came Shepard's dry response. "We won't know for sure unless we go and do it. But, as mentioned before, we don't have any other choice. This decision is worth it from my point of view."

"We're all committed here, commander. Everyone realizes that this isn't a time for half measures. It's win or lose, all or nothing. But this time, we…take…all."

"Damn right, sir," Shepard saluted.

"Good luck, Shepard."

"And happy hunting as well," Anderson intoned. "I look forward to your arrival at the FOB once the cavalry has arrived. It'll be nice to see you in person again and the crew of regulars."

Shepard grinned, "Likewise, Anderson. See you soon and stay safe out there. Shepard out."

* * *

The elevator hummed as Shepard snapped the buttons of his collar off, releasing the hold on his neck, allowing him a little more comfort from the restrictive cloth. Fiddling some more with his jacket, he shrugged it off as the door chimed, signaling that it had reached his cabin. He walked out with mixed feelings, rather uncertain about the coming storm.

He had addressed the crew just a few minutes ago about the current agenda. There was no hesitation coming from any of them, to their everlasting credit. Actually, all of them seemed to take the news that they were going to assault the Reaper front lines with a moot acceptance, with a hidden eagerness buried deep down.

They were finally going to do it. They were taking the fight to Earth.

Shepard had recommended that everyone try to at least get a few hours sleep before they launched in roughly sixteen hours time. Who knew when the next opportunity to bunk would come into play. Within moments, the whole ship had become rather quiet as half of the crew took the opportunity to sleep while the rest waited for their turn in the sleeper pods.

James and Cortez were hard at work in the armory, adjusting and cleaning every one of the weapons in stock so that they would be battle ready. Joker was having a conversation with EDI as he tried (and failed) to complete a crossword to pass the time, despite EDI giving him all the hints he needed. Garrus was still cooped up in the main battery, still calibrating the Thanix cannon in case they needed a big explosion to get rid of something in their way. No telling if any future problems were going to call for a big kaboom.

And Tali...the last he had seen of her was when he had left his cabin to speak to Anderson and Hackett. She might have gone to engineering within that timeframe or there was the possibility that she was still inside. Either way, he intended to be with her in the same room for this one last night, maybe share a small meal together, a conversation perhaps. Surely he would not be so crude as to ask for-

His train of thought quickly derailed and went up in flames as he looked down near his bed, the bubbling of the fish tank sounding like the roar of waves from the sea. Near the foot of his bed, Tali's envirosuit lay neatly folded, her helmet and visor placed meticulously upon it. Eyes trailing upwards, he caught sight of a grey foot and it led up a similarly colored leg until her nervous face came into view.

Tali stood from the bed, stark naked, and she quickly rushed into Shepard's arms. Surprised by this development, he rested his palms against the smooth skin of her back as she clung to him, feeling the slight prickle of goosebumps as she was chilled by the air. She shuddered as she stood bare, locked in the reassuring embrace from her human, breath tickling his neck.

"I…" he heard her whisper, "I...I didn't know how else to _ask…_"

He tilted his head back, gazing upon her lovely face as he stroked her cheek. "You don't have to," he smiled.

"It's just..." Tali gave a nervous laugh, "I'm so _scared_. I n-never thought that this day would come s-so _soon_."

"Neither did I," he agreed, starting to feel a little jittery in the presence of the naked quarian. "I wanted more time, that's all I ever wanted. More time to spend with you, Tali, instead of fighting a war."

"I wanted that too," she sighed dejectedly. "If only we could have met under different circumstances, maybe then do you think we could have lived a normal life? Just us without all this drama?"

He pondered her question for a moment, "I don't know, Tali. It's an alternate reality that I can't really imagine at the moment with this war screwing everything up. But if we pull this off, then the prospect of actually _living _a normal life sounds just perfect to me. It just seems...right."

"Yeah," Tali nodded. "But I don't want to talk about that anymore. I don't want to talk about the war right now. I want for us to stand in each other's presence, unafraid, and shut everything else out. It sounds like a selfish thought...and it is. But given all that's happened already, I think I deserve a little leeway with regards to my being selfish."

"Tali," Shepard laughed, "If anyone deserves to be selfish once in a while, it's you. And I think you're onto something as well. Maybe I deserve to be selfish with you-"

"-A hundred times over, you _bosh'tet_," Tali rushed out before meeting her mouth with his. He immediately groaned as they started to grasp at each other, their tongues immediately gliding out and gathering in the middle. The familiar taste came back to Shepard immediately, recalling old and warm memories of them together. Perhaps Tali was more right than she gave herself credit for.

Her fingers slipped underneath his shirt and rose, yanking it off. While she was doing that, he fumbled at his belt as she passionately kissed him some more. Multitasking like this was becoming an impossibility for him. He was just not wired to focus on such things at a given time, as his hands kept missing the links on the belt in his haste.

Bending his knees to kick his pants off, his head aligned perfectly with her navel. With a greedy impulse, he smoothed his arms over her rear as he began to kiss her abdomen, pressing his face into the firm flesh as his lips trailed over and around her navel.

Tali moaned from above, her hands tenderly stroking his scalp as he ascended after removing the final article of clothing. She blew her hair out of her face as she started to pant, the heat rushing to her head. He did not let up on his determination in making out with her body, his tongue darting out slightly as he rose between her breasts, planting a soft kiss there. In seconds, their heads were at the same height again, but Tali was positively glowing as she gave a wide smile, all teeth, white as a winter's day.

In the middle of another fierce kiss, Tali's arms pushed out and Shepard (over-exaggerating the force of her shove) fell onto the bed with her right on his heels. She now began sliding upward next to him, her posture like a cat about to pounce on its prey and took her turn kissing his body. Each place she touched with her lips covered a small portion where his flesh had been scarred from the past few months. A faded mark from where he had been burned from a Collector particle rifle, a small line from where Kai Leng had stabbed him through his structure, and countless more accumulated over his long and various campaigns.

Tali threw a leg over Shepard's torso as she began straddling him. Bending down, she barely took her time to breathe before she lowered her head onto Shepard's awaiting lips and felt the heat bloom between them. She found herself shaking with need as she gradually sidled her hips further and further down until they were where she wanted them to be. They may have had hours left, but to her it felt like mere minutes. She could not bear a second longer, craving the intense throb. She was more than ready at this point.

Shepard was surprised with how quickly the night had been turned on his head and suddenly gripped the sheets tightly when he felt Tali lower herself onto him. He shut his eyes as she moaned in pleasure, slightly rocking forward to get used to the wonderful sensation again. She bent her back slightly and her hands fell onto his chest, propping herself up. Her six fingers grasped at his skin, leaving red marks behind as her body started to _burn_. Shepard, in turn, let his hands rise from her soft rear up to her breasts, flicking his thumbs across her nipples, causing her to coo in delight.

Tali's hips rose and fell as she set the pace, driving deliciously at him. Her hair flew everywhere as it became hard to breathe, resorting to deep and heavy gasping. Shepard lay propped up by the pillow and smiled as the quarian atop him appeared so _happy_. Her mouth was open but it was in an ample beam as her eyes shone right through him. As Tali's hands smoothed over his chest, he drew himself up slightly and moved his hands over her back, driving their heads together as Tali joyfully mumbled through her mouth in elation.

The kiss that followed was just as addicting as the ones that had come before it. All of Tali's emotions lay exposed within her kisses. The slight trembling of her lips, the desperation of her tongue, and the quiet little noises she made all indicated to him the delight she felt at the height of their intimacy. How he had not been driven crazy by this obviously lovesick woman by now must have merited its own reward because Shepard was once again reminded at how much Tali truly loved him.

Following his own, brash, internal advice, he gripped her back as Tali began to clutch her own breasts, breathing noisily as she was approaching her climax. He was close too but in no way did he want the night to be over that quickly. Stopping her pace with a kiss at the nape of her neck, he gently rolled over so that he was now on top, the exhausted quarian pawing at him from underneath.

Waiting a few seconds until he was certain that he could continue again, he pushed forward, grinning as Tali made every effort to quiet her moans and failing in spectacular fashion as she bit her lip, then the pillow, to just giving up altogether and letting her lustful noises escape into the air where they belonged.

As the warmth continued to burgeon, he started lose all focus with his surroundings. It was just the two of them, in this very room, on this very ship, it seemed. Their selfishness had peaked for the both of them. As he thrusted, Tali's gasps became fainter and fainter as the room started to fog. Blinking his eyes to clear it, not wanting to take his eyes off of her, he drove harder and harder, straining to overpower his demons.

The memory poured forth like a cold liquid as time lost all meaning, the feeling an icicle in his chest.

_He clutched at her limp body as blood spilled out, her breathing slowing to an eventual stop. Tears running down his cheeks, he screamed as his flesh began to melt in the inferno as the laughter fell upon him-_

His vision flared red for a brief moment and he gasped, freezing in place. The memory left him out of breath as all of the heat seemed to vanish from him and he was left feeling cold, alone. The room's contours seemed to melt around him as he shivered, causing him to shut his eyes for fearing that if he opened them, he would find-

"J-John?"

Her voice drove the iciness away, sending warmth flooding back through him. Shepard breathed in very slowly as his blood pounded in his ears. He looked down as he was positioned stiffly in place, Tali's eyes shining underneath him, uncomprehending. Her mouth was agape in a soft moan, her chest was beaded with sweat. Her fingers raked at him, desperate for him to continue.

"Oh no, John…" she begged, "John…_please_…"

He quickly brought a hand to her head as he gently stroked her hair, feeling the strands run between his fingers. Letting his racing pulse calm down, he closed his eyes and laid a tender kiss on her forehead. She too closed her eyes and was rewarded when she felt his soft lips soon combine with hers, both paused in time as they slightly sucked, running their tongues over one another's as he let his unspoken assurance comfort her.

Fully recovered, lips still intertwined, Shepard moved his body forward once more, causing her to expel her breath into his mouth in surprise. The feeling of him pushing back and forth, his arms holding her from underneath, was bringing her close to the edge once more.

Tali's limbs ached and the heat was making it hard to breathe but she didn't want to stop, not yet. Her legs wrapped around Shepard's body as she now fully embraced him, moving her hips in time with him, thereby doubling the pleasure on both of their ends. She bit her lip in another attempt to keep from crying loudly but Shepard made no such effort, letting his groan echo throughout her.

He lowered his forehead onto hers but they did not kiss. Instead, they both closed their eyes and gasped together as they drew closer as one. Her tongue flickered out of her mouth unconsciously and found his lips, brushing across them quickly. She did this several times until he finally grew impatient and lowered his mouth onto hers, taking full advantage of kissing her deeply as they continued to make love.

Within moments, Tali suddenly felt a warmth rushing down there and she clawed at his back as she loudly moaned. As the inevitable approached, for good this time, she gasped out, "_Hold on! John, please hold on!_"

Shepard didn't verbally respond but instead managed to draw himself deeper, going at her faster with an intensity she had never felt before. Tali was bucking furiously, her hips rising and falling to meet his energy in stride, sending the sheets around her billowing as the bed rocked underneath them. Sweat flew in the air as she grunted huskily, rapidly reaching her peak.

The wonderful throb quickly turned into a full-bodied ache and she screamed as every single strand of her muscles tensed for what seemed like an eternity before relaxing, causing her to flop down on the bed, giving a thankful moan. Shepard also yelled with her, their bodies surging as both of them climaxed at the same time. She could see the cords stand out on his neck, his scarred skin turn red, before he carefully lowered himself down so that his head lay atop her chest as the height of his pleasure passed, limbs feeling rubbery afterward.

The both of them were tired, hot, and sweaty but they didn't seem to notice the immediate slight discomforts. Tali's belly was rising up and down as she got her wind back, her warm and soft abdomen pressing into Shepard's chest as she stroked his head. Shepard melded to her in her touch, his body still situated between her legs.

She kissed his head, feeling the shorn hair part at her touch as he in turn kissed the side of her breast, head situated in between them, letting any soft flesh in his reach become touched by his lips, surrounding him in grey. She smiled as she clutched the still panting Shepard closely to her, holding his head to her chest as he wrapped his arms around her lower body, ignoring the faint mechanical sounds in the air. He seemed so _helpless_ in her arms, so frail. Too see him like this, it was vividly apparent of how much his being depended on her involvement in his life. It was a sobering thought for Tali to know that without her, John Shepard was essentially _nothing_. His drive to live, to succeed, would never have lasted as long if she had not come into his life, nor would hers for that matter.

"_Thank you_," she let out the barest of whispers. "_Thank you_."

He tightened his grip around her in response and she tilted her head back on the pillow, still gently stroking his head, a tiny, knowing smile on her face. To think that her, Tali'Zorah the quarian admiral, had essentially saved John Shepard, the Savior of the Citadel, was beyond a doubt, overpowering. He had been the immovable rock to the entire crew, but she had been _his_ immovable rock. _She_ was the anchor he was tied to, whom he always came back to.

Feeling the tendrils of sleep encroach upon them, Shepard slid upward as both of them slipped the covers over themselves. However, he grabbed the edge of the sheet and pulled it so that it completely encased them both. They were now trapped in the darkness but they could share it with each other. There was no war here, no conflict, no fear. Just the two of them and their burning love for each other.

Tali scooted forward so that her entire body was touching alongside Shepard's, feeling the delight of skin against her once more, apart from the smooth and cool sheets lying on her body. Piercing the darkness, his face came to hers as his lips made contact. She hungrily and gratefully responded, drawing from him a passion that roared from within the both of them, an emotion so obvious that needed no words to voice. They knew where they belonged.

The sheets churned and tangled as the heat rose once more before the room quieted, its inhabitants lost to the endless dreamy wonder.

* * *

_The cold air flew around him but oddly, he did not feel a chill. The wind was there, it existed as it hit him, but he could only feel the vibration when it impacted his frame. This was strange, from the look of the dead trees around the time of the warmer months had long passed. It should feel cold to him, at the very least._

_He pushed aside a small bush and felt only a brief tingle from his fingertips as the unhealthy green leaves snapped back across his arm, making a metallic ting!_

_With horror, he glanced downward and saw his hands reaching outward, purged of the fleshy covering that hid it from sight. The gleaming grey and black of his head shone underneath the cloud cover. His true form lay exposed for all to see, the famous Commander Shepard, held together by nuts and bolts, no better than Saren._

"_No…" he whispered in the now still air. "This…this isn't me…"_

"_Really?" came a gravelly voice. "It sure looks like the real you from where I stand."_

_Turning around, he saw the ash and lightning give form to the shadow across the clearing. Stepping forward, the black form of Rukin appeared to be smiling as he approached, arms spread wide in a gesture of trust, of acceptance._

"_All this time and you still haven't accepted yourself for who you really are? Maybe the face you've seen in the mirror recently is the lie. Maybe…this is who you were truly meant to be…"_

"_You have no idea what you're talking about, machine," he growled. "I never was meant to be like this. It was only through your involvement-"_

"_-That made you better! If it hadn't been for what you are you would never have made it this far. You would never have lived as long as you might have figured. Hell, you probably would have never seen that quarian that you are now with, if it wasn't for me."_

"_I warn you…if you lay one hand on Tali-"_

_Rukin barked dramatically, "What, Shepard? Kill me? That's not really the most original threat you can conjure anymore since you've already attempted that once. Look what only getting halfway with your warnings does to someone like me. Equal footing now, more fun to be had."_

_He lifted a gleaming arm at the black cyborg, "And do you consider 'that' to be the real you? Are you really so calm to accept the fact that you've been butchered and stuffed into a metal sack with my face as dressing?"_

_An arm rose to knock on a gleaming chestplate, "It's who I am now. The Shepard persona was just a mask, a tool to be utilized. I am what I am meant to be, nothing more. If I was to be a salarian, then that would be fine. A turian? Not a problem? A cybernetic organism built for the purpose of dismantling the enemies of Cerberus? Perfectly fine. You see, Shepard, your problem this whole time was you living in the past and hoping it contained all the answers. Trying to reclaim your old life because you had the delusion of being Commander Shepard again."_

_He bristled underneath the red gaze, "I still am Commander Shepard. I did not choose this life, that was made without my input. Had I been asked, I would have rather died than live a life like this."_

"_So dark, Shepard. Do you truly mean that? I'm just saying, you're a Spectre again, aren't you? The Alliance has accepted you back, and to top it all off, you have the quarian to boot. It seems like your resurrection has worked out for you quite well in the end, so why don't you revise your statement so that you're not lying poorly to my face?_

_He stepped forward, face almost touching Rukin's as he let the snarl escape his throat, every noise perfectly enunciated. "Had I known on the onset, without any clue as to what would happen. I would have wanted to die."_

_A breathy chuckle emitted from Rukin, a flash of lightning illuminating his terrifying features as dead leaves flew everywhere, "So you say. Personally, I would have welcomed the second chance. It's an interesting conundrum that you possess, Shepard. I'm actually having trouble deciding if you're a man of firm principles or simply a coward underneath. But, I have to admit, you have been quite the worthy opponent, so I must thank you for giving me my reason to live."_

"_Fuck you and your reasons," he spat. "The only other thing I'll admit to your face is that I regret not killing you enough."_

_The black skull seemed to smile, "I believe that you may get that chance soon enough."_

"_I will murder you, I swear to that." He held up his hands, watching the fingers clench together, clicking upon solid metal as they shook from the pressure placed on it. "And I will dismantle you piece by piece for what you did to Liara, I swear to god."_

"_Just for what I did to the asari?"_

_His breaking point for lashing out at the shadow was nearing in the face of its arrogance. "I don't care for what other crimes you have committed that warrant me putting you down for good. It makes no difference in the end."_

_Rukin lifted a hand as it twirled a pistol before steadily aiming it across the clearing, straight at him. "Wrong, Shepard. It makes all the difference."_

_He gave a disbelieving laugh, "What, are you going to shoot me? In my own nightmare? You can taunt me all you want but you can't physically hurt me."_

"_You're right," the skull acknowledged. "I can't physically hurt _you_." With a slight twitch of Rukin's hand, aiming the gun to the left Shepard's head, the gun fired, making him jump as the bullet passed within centimeters of his temple. Trying furiously to track the bullet, he turned completely around as he watched the target behind him crumple._

_Tali clutched her hands to her stomach, blood spurting free as she fell to her knees. His mouth agape, he began to run over as Rukin laughed in the background. With each clomp of feet, it did not feel like he was gaining on her, but as if her form was being dragged further away. He screamed, trying to drown out the laugh but it only amplified in volume, its timbre shaking his very being, his very soul._

_Desperate to reach the twitching and crying quarian on the ground, he hit the ground on all fours and frantically drove himself forward like an animal. Snarling wildly, he dug at the ground with all of his might in an attempt to increase his velocity. Her position did not change. He was still not moving._

_Teeth clattered as his limbs surged forward. Rukin's laughter drowned out his own roar. The darkness was creeping inside of him once more, coating him with cold, uprooting his warmth. Tendrils intruded upon his vision and he shook his head to get rid of the filter but still it persisted, still it advanced. They were creeping, constricting, covering, as he finally gave out collapsing in the dirt._

_Before the last speck of light faded from view, he cried out, "Tali! TALI!"_

* * *

"Tali!" he gasped aloud as he sat up, the sheets crumpling off his body. He rubbed his arms, trying to drive away the cold as he looked down and to the left.

Tali was where he had last seen her, asleep at his side, eyes peacefully shut as she was oblivious to his plight. He breathed out in relief, the dream had seemed so _real_. As had them all for the past several months. He could not take this anymore.

He rose up off the bed, ignoring the sleepy mumble of "_John?_" from Tali as he walked towards the bathroom. He did not waste any time hitting the button for the shower and sighed as the torrent seeped into his skin, drawing out the cold like poison from a wound. The last inclinations of sleep still pressed upon him and he leaned against the wall of the shower. Moving his feet out, he slid down the shiny surface until he was sitting upright as the water fell upon him, still hot, but at least this way he could not have to stand any longer.

Shepard sighed, letting the liquid trickle into his mouth before breathing it out as his head pulsed uncomfortably. The ache was receding so more time spent in here looked to be a necessity at this point. There were little universal comfort factors shared amongst species but a hot shower was one of them. Something about the sensation of being covered in a warm liquid that granted purification. It was almost as if it had a reverent significance.

He really had no idea if he had been only sitting for a minute or all day when he heard someone distinctively clear their throat from the entrance. He opened his eyes a crack, squinting through the water permeating his vision as he saw Tali standing in front of him, arms crossed over her chest, face in an exasperated expression as she regarded him from afar, looking like she was tired of him and his antics.

Shepard was about to get up and turn off the shower so that they could talk but she surprised him by walking into the spray, (letting out a muffled gasp as the hot liquid touched her skin) and sitting down beside him, a soft and forgiving smile upon her lips.

She nudged his foot with her foot and procured his hand with her own, gently playing with his fingers as he scooted over so that they were sharing their heat within the shower. Tali's other hand rose and the water started to pool in her palm, exposing her to the delight of water running over skin. Tali's hair was plastered to her head and Shepard pushed it out of her face so he could see her features. He never saw them enough as it was already.

Moving on from his fingers, her hands gingerly traced the sides of his head as she leaned it to lightly place a kiss on his cheek, her breath tickling him as she lingered.

"I will only ask one time," she whispered in his ear, "After that I won't bother you again if you want, no matter your answer. But please, John, tell me what you're dreaming about. Tell me what it is that's haunting you. Tell me what causes you to shut me out when you cry out at night for me."

He gazed at her anxious look, "How many nights have I called out for you in my sleep?"

"Almost _every _night, John. Multiple _times _per night, in fact. But whenever I hold you as you sleep you always calm down. Just as you did for me when I was recovering from my sickness after the Collector base."

He cast his glare bitterly to the side, "If only it was all brought on by sickness, Tali. If only."

Tali slid her arms around the human's body, ignoring the lack of give from within. "_Tell me_," she begged. "Please tell me what is in your dreams."

Dreams, by their very nature, were private matters. Brief glimpses into the inner workings of one's true psyche. Deep sleep had a tendency to bring about the most nebulous of images but Shepard's were all coherent, they _lingered_. But if his own thoughts were no longer private, then what did he still have control of?

"I keep on seeing you die," he said abruptly. Tali closed her eyes as her face lay on his upper arm, sniffling a bit. He stroked her hair as he continued, "Every night, I'm in a forest. Everything around me is dead, the leaves are gone, the ground mixed with ash as if a battle had taken place there recently." He swallowed, "And every time, I'm in my old body...my new one I mean." He pinched the web of his hand for emphasis, forcing the skin back to wrap around and define the contours of the underlying structure.

Tali's eyes widened but she remained raptured by his solemn tone. "And every time I walk around that forest, you…" He took a ragged breath around the downpour of the shower, "I see you get shot. Sometimes I make it to where you fall, sometimes I don't. The...the result is always the same. Whether I hold you in my arms or have to watch from a distance, you _die_."

Tali bit her lip. She had secretly been expecting an outcome like this. What else would have made Shepard act the way he did if not her own death? Was it the prospect of losing her that worried him or was it a taunt? A gloat implanted in his head to torture him night after night on what he held most dear. The very idea of his soulmate torn from him was killing him.

She squeezed him firmly, setting aside her morbid thoughts for a more optimistic view. "What do you think it means? Your dreams of me dying? Do you think it's a glimpse of the future? Or a memory that won't go away?"

"I…" Shepard sighed dejectedly, "I _can't tell_. I don't know if I've just been paranoid this whole time or the Reapers have successfully indoctrinated me with their intruding thoughts, but I can't get it out of my head."

"And you think that if we defeat the Reapers, these thoughts will go too?"

"There would be no reason for them to exist," he considered before savagely pounding the floor, startling her. "Why is it that nothing in my life ever seems to remain normal for just one minute? Just when I start getting used to my new form, I am thrust right into the thick of things once more. Liara is dead, my mind filled with pain, and we are about to determine the fate of the galaxy which could very well be our last day alive." He accentuated each word with a blow to the floor, "It's...so...fucking..._unfair!"_

In a flash, Tali turned to the side and held onto Shepard as they slid further down onto the floor. She opened her mouth and he was there for her, locking lips as their tongues intensely dueled. The raining liquid sluiced down around them but it only intensified their arousal even more. The pair became a mash of tangled, slippery limbs as they fought to sit upright as they grappled, both holding the other so closely that they were afraid they would be lost forever if they let go.

With a blast of heat, both of them paused in their duties at the same time, the intruding shower impairing their breathing even more, leaving them in danger of drowning. They parted, breathless, as they shared the same space, existing with the same body, the same life.

Shepard finally smiled, the sensation itself an enormous effort. "If a normal life is too much to ask for," he said, wiping away a few strands of hair away from Tali's beautiful blue eyes, the water beading on her lush cheeks, "Then this is all I could really ask for."

Tali kissed him lightly on the lips, "But what if it was a goal within reach?"

"I would take it. In a heartbeat, I would take it."

She showed off her perfect teeth in a wide grin, "Take _what_, exactly? Living with me?"

"You'd be first on the list, yes," he agreed as he returned her kiss.

She lifted her eyes upward as she pretended to think hard, "How about a house?"

"Of course. I already promised that I would build one for you." Another kiss.

"A paying job?"

"If it comes to it, I'll take a cubicle over a battlefield any day," as he supplied her with yet one more kiss.

"A family?"

He stopped as he was about to deliver his next kiss, his breath halting within his throat. He pulled back to see Tali's completely serious expression across from him. There was no tremble from her body, no shaking of her limbs, no wavering of her voice. It was an aspect that she had been considering thoughtfully for a long time and wanted his opinion when she would present it at the opportune time.

Shepard chose his next words carefully before speaking softly to the wide-eyed quarian, "Is...is that what you truly want, Tali? A family?"

She gave a timid nod, "It...there is no one else that I would trust for that. No one...except you, John."

He ran through the scenarios in his head, taking everything to mind as he spoke next, "You mean...a child? You'd be willing to do that?"

"Only if you were, John," she giggled nervously. "Only if you were."

Heart soaring high, he kissed her full on the mouth, hearing her gleeful sob of relief muffled from within. Tears now added to the mix, she shut her eyes as all the love she had accumulated came spilling out of her at the very notion, the confirmation that Shepard wanted her for the rest of her life. She had her answer as they remained locked in place underneath the warm spray.

Inexplicably, as they continued to devour in passion, a random thought popped into her head and latched on, unwilling to let go, bringing to her a bit of amusement in light of their current situation.

_We're going to have to get a shower for the house._

* * *

**_A/N: Just a little fluff before the final battle. Thoughts on the matter?_**


	34. Chapter 10: Welcome to Hell

Little could anyone guess the significance of the tiny blue marble dispersed randomly throughout the universe and what meaning it would hold for the trillions of souls who inhabited that small corner of the galaxy. The planet Earth, the pale blue dot, was the only haven in the entire Local Cluster that supported a wide range of active life for millions of lightyears. Only one intelligent species had left its confines thus far, but it now played host to dozens of different origins as now all species fought around this perfect little sphere, ensnared by the conflict that had spread like a cancer, moving throughout the stars.

Tiny pinpricks of heat and flame flowered miles above its surface, gas igniting from force and pressure. It created a warm outer layer that even the planet's inhabitants could see past the smoke and light pollution on the ground. Pieces of glowing metal floated aimlessly, mixed with frozen liquid as the vacuum cooled it, the dying light vanishing.

Molten metal hung loosely, silvery blobs among a sea of rust and death. The vibrations and shockwaves from the nearby explosions caused them to ripple in all three dimensions, hurtling over their forms as a traveling ship plowed through them, plastering the hot liquid to the hull.

Blue shafts of light, mixed with red beams, criss-crossed the open space as blows were exchanged. The glowing discharges touched the opposite lines, bursting apart in a brilliant show of pyrotechnics. Combatants were blown apart, some bisected, as the wall of sound and fire went on, unceasing.

Ships of all shapes and sizes closed in on the planet, forming a front hundreds of thousands of miles wide with hundreds of thousands of participants. Everything from simple Alliance cruisers, to large, lumbering quarian liveships, to sleek, prowling geth dreadnoughts made up some part of the attacking force, united as one mass, one fleet.

Leading the charge was a lone ship, relatively small compared to the heavy destroyers situated behind it, but by far the most iconic looking of the bunch. Spewing blue death from its Thanix cannons, the Normandy shot forward as it weathered the storm, braving the worst its opponents could offer.

Reapers, hundreds of them, also formed a wide front, blocking access to the planet and the locked down Citadel situated in the background, standing tall amidst the oncoming struggle. The squid-like forms rushed ahead and charged their weapons, silent in the coldness of space. Reaching full power, they released their own barrage, only needing to touch a ship to doom everyone on board, cocky of victory.

For every ship that was felled, two more came to replace it as they repaid its sacrifice with a fury that the Reapers had never known before. Torpedoes and missiles impacted on the hull of one such hapless machine as seven turian cruisers moved to surround it. Confused on whom to attack first, the Reaper raised its arms in frustration until red lightning stormed from within, erupting outward as its orange innards spilled forth and started to freeze.

The first victory and hopefully not the last.

A Reaper rushed to the aid of its comrade too late and it embraced the same fate as geth fighters swarmed its defenses, the mobile platforms eating away at the beast's shields with their particle beams. Dropping with a red _snap_, several quarian frigates pounced forward and filled the Reaper with holes from their Thanix cannons, puncturing the core. Detonating with a muted roar, shrapnel and debris dispersed from the blooming force as shards flew everywhere, amongst the rapidly growing pile.

SX3 fighters and Reaper oculi engaged in a deadly dance, trading bright, beautiful beams as they cut through the battlefield. Whirling around while dodging ship after ship, the setting became host to a swarm as the tiny, one-man fighters streaked through. The remains of the fighters piled up as shards of glass and fragments of wings flitted through, joining the main host as they floated amidst the glow from Earth.

Small explosions from the fighters were ignored by the larger ships, devoting all of their efforts to downing the towering machines in front of them. No one could afford to be distracted for a moment when such a mistake could cost any crew their lives. The Reapers were the objective, the main goal. A war cry was made in unison and the legions of all the galaxy's creatures surged forward as one, meeting their tormentors face to face.

If anything, the Reapers were surprised by this development. Thousands of cycles of inhabitants being in disarray, it had been so long since they had met a united force on the scale such as this. Multiple civilizations, one banner, everything to lose. Even though hundreds of ships had already been lost on the galaxy's end, they had still managed to scratch the Reapers' defenses, causing them to lose combatants in the process.

The Reapers were not invincible. They could be broken.

Dodging the flailing tentacles from the Reapers, the Normandy blasted through their front lines as red beams desperately tore after them. It was no use, the ship was too quick, all thanks to its expert pilot at the helm. Multiple oculi attempted to give chase but were quickly left behind once the ship had made it through relatively intact. Engaging the sublight drive, the Normandy quickly scurried down to the planet's surface, moving out of the way from the collected debris that had accumulated during the Reapers' initial invasion.

The sleek ship started to heat up as it began to penetrate the atmosphere, the bullet shape of the Citadel gleaming in front of it. Barely noticing the thread of blue light that connected its base to the ground, it shot towards the origin, its inhabitants preparing for the final push.

Planetfall in five minutes. Enemy presence substantial.

* * *

The dry air was the first thing Shepard felt as the ramp of the Normandy lowered. Unblinking from the flashing lights and the shouts surrounding him, he instead craned his neck upward at the foreboding skyline as his jaw clenched involuntarily.

The night sky was completely covered with clouds, muting the normally colorful palate that London had to offer. The occasional streak of lightning from overhead threw everything off so that the shadows danced all over the walls. The wind whistled from between the buildings, sending an eerie howl throughout the forward operations base, making all of the soldiers in the vicinity bristle.

Troops clomped through the streets in groups as sergeants were struggling to be heard over the growl of nearby engines. Mantis and Kodiak transports sat idling as soldiers were being shoveled into them, distributing them for their next battle. The loud noises from the passing of fighters overhead were quickly followed by distant explosions as nearby targets were being bombed. All the while, the soft glow from the beam encompassed all, just a shade over five miles away.

Feeling relatively secure in his armor, shields up to full, Shepard's boot met the cracked concrete with a grating sound as he strode towards the command center, Tali by his side. Garrus, James, and EDI also followed, faces grim and determined as they appraised the damage left in the Reapers' wake.

Walking through the square, Shepard was surprised at how many familiar faces there were in the vicinity. Primarch Victus was busy talking to a few generals but he took the time to give the commander a friendly nod as they passed. Next to the turian encampments, Wrex was busy giving a speech to dozens of his troops, shouting something along the lines of _"drowning their enemies in their own blood"_ or _"feasting on their despair."_ It was an over-the-top showing anyway, but the krogan troops ate it up like it came from a great wordsmith.

To Tali's surprise, several of her people were here as well, and they had brought friends. Even though there were two distinct groups in the building that had been occupied, she could see her fellow marines converse with several geth platforms in a surprisingly casual manner, as though three hundred years of conflict had been simply forgotten. The sight of a quarian and a geth trading and admiring weapons put a large smile on her face as the whole blasted situation came smashing her in the face. Perhaps everyone _could _learn to get along in this galaxy.

Peering upward, several of the high rises were left without roofs, the stone masonry crumbling in the streets. Windows lay shattered across the ground, several of the buildings ransacked. In several cases, just the bare structure of the construction was exposed, arches, rivets, and beams. The skeleton of the neighborhoods as the city lay gutted, small fires burning in the corners.

Abandoned skycars lay parked in the middle of pockmarked intersections, holes filled with dirt from distant bombardments. Machine guns chattered from the battlements as stray Reaper thralls wandered into the line of fire. In response, James swore quietly from behind Shepard as Garrus threw up a hand to protect his face from all the dust that was blowing around.

A corpsman directed them to the area they were looking for, walking past a squad of troopers who turned at the sight of Shepard. He returned their gaze, giving a solemn nod and hiding his grin as they recognized him immediately. It probably was not him that was responsible for turning all those heads, he was with a very diverse crew, after all. Two humans, a synthetic, a turian, and a quarian. A mob of all things unexpected, underdogs least of all.

Before they could enter, a man strode out of the nearby doors and turned in their direction. Giving a wide, warm smile, he strode over to the group and held out his hand as Shepard now grinned.

"Anderson," Shepard laughed, relieved, "Damned if you aren't a sight for sore eyes."

The admiral pumped his hand in a firm shake, "I hear that. You're looking good, son. How are you holding up?"

Shepard glanced upward as the roar of a Reaper echoed through, "It's a little surreal, to be honest. I never thought it would look this bad."

Anderson gave a shrug, "Actually, this is probably the worst you're going to see. Sure, all the large cities were devastated but London is the one place where the most resistance is occurring."

"Has anyone tried to make it to the beam yet?"

"Not that we know of. You're just in time, believe it or not. We've put together a full scale assault before you arrived, infantry, armor, and air, the works. And now that you're here, we can begin immediately."

"Not leaving anything to chance?"

"Not at all," Anderson gave a grim face. "Although there is a bit of a snag in the plan. A destroyer has been guarding the beam all this time, preventing any of our troops from making it down there."

"A destroyer? Do we have any weapons capable of taking it down?" Shepard did not exactly feel like going toe to toe with one, even if he had every single gun in the fleet hooked up to a targeting laser, a fact that Tali shared as she nervously gripped his arm.

"We have a few portable Thanix missile launchers," Anderson confirmed, Tali's gesture going by unnoticed. "They will comprise one unit while the other unit waits for the destroyer to be...well, destroyed."

"I'm guessing that even if the missiles don't work, you're counting on the Reaper being distracted enough for the second unit to make a push, right?"

"That's the idea. The beam is situated at the bottom of a gradual incline, no cover, so we will have to go fast if we are unable to down the thing immediately."

"And once we're inside, we just find the console to open the arms?"

"Precisely. It isn't the most perfect of plans, but it's a plan nonetheless." Anderson gave each one of Shepard's crewmates a smile before looking to the horizon, seeing the faint glow emanate from the beyond. Glancing back, he said determinedly, "Not much point in waiting around any longer. You ready to get the hell onto that station, commander?"

Shepard smiled broadly, snapping into a full and respectful salute, "Yes sir."

Anderson returned the salute and held his hand out for another shake, to which Shepard accepted as he bid farewell to his friend and mentor. The admiral's eyes were lidded with a knowing secret as he leaned in for a private word, "Good luck, son. Keep her safe."

He didn't flinch but felt something clench from within and it was not anything to do with his synthsac. "I will, sir," he replied. "I look forward to telling you all about it."

"Likewise, Shepard," came the soft voice before Anderson glanced over at a line of trucks exiting the side. "First unit's on the way. Did you want to send anyone with them?"

Shepard turned back to the anxious faces behind him. The trucks were continuing to roll out but he still felt a clamp had been exerted on him. Tali teetered nervously under his gaze, Garrus bristled with anger towards the enemy, EDI stood complacent, and James shook his arms, feeling the surge of adrenaline.

Was there an overall point for him making his people go with the first unit? It was not going to be the decisive unit in this battle but they needed those tanks. They were a crucial aspect for this whole operation. Lose them all and the gig was up. But the fighting would be intense, he realized. Those tanks were headed directly into the path of a Reaper. He would just be sending someone to their deaths.

How he had wanted never to be put in this position again…

"Commander," James said as he stepped forward, saving Shepard from having to make the decision himself. "Request permission to rally with unit one."

Shepard's chest loosened as he simultaneously felt like a bottomless pit was being opened up inside him. There was nary a trace of hesitation upon the young lieutenant's face. It was not a decision made rashly, it was a choice made for the well being of the mission. Such as it was for the life a grunt: mission first, live later.

"James?" Shepard cautiously probed anyway. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Vega smiled, "With all due respect, fuck that, _sir_. I know where I'm needed."

He sighed, "That's very...noble of you, James, but I don't like the idea of you going off by yourself-"

"He _won't _be by himself," came a metallic voice as EDI strode into view. "Request permission to accompany Lieutenant Vega, commander."

Shepard blinked, "EDI, you too?"

The synthetic body of Dr. Core stood tall, her face locked in determination. "Lieutenant Vega will need sufficient backup on his mission, which I am capable of providing. I cannot be harmed directly by small arms fire as my presence is linked on board the Normandy. For the purpose of this task, my situation is advantageous."

James shrugged, "Hey, if the AI wants to tag along, that's fine by me."

Shepard shot him a contrary glance but he nodded all the same. "Then you better get going, you two. Convoy's almost left."

"Roger that, sir," James smiled as he saluted Shepard. "It was an honor serving under you."

Shepard now returned the salute, "And it was an honor having you fight beside me, Lieutenant. I couldn't have asked for a better soldier."

James laughed as he started to jog, face brightening, "Thank you, sir." As he left, EDI paused for a bit before giving a brief nod in his direction.

"We'll be in touch over the comm," she said. "I'll do my best to protect him."

"You've done your best at protecting us all," he clarified to the AI. "I have faith that you'll do a great job."

"Thank you, Shepard," EDI called as she joined James on top of a rolling Grizzly. The commander gave a final wave as the vehicle turned around the corner and out of sight. He sighed as the square seemed much more emptier now, turning to the final two people in his midst, not wanting to let them out of his sight for as long as he could manage.

A rumbling engine started and Shepard gestured to Tali and Garrus for them to follow. They headed over to the motor pool as the roar of squealing tires started up as unit two started the process of moving out.

"So, Shepard?" Garrus asked as they jogged down the rows of tanks. "What exactly is the plan that you have in mind?"

Shepard turned his head in all directions, looking for the one particular item of interest. "If we go on foot we'll be torn apart," he mused back. "We're going to need some extra armor if we want to make it to the beam in one piece."

Garrus did a double take before his foot caught on a brick, causing him to stumble in pain. "_Oh no_…" he breathed, "You're not seriously thinking-"

"Ah," Shepard clapped his hands as he walked around a mobile launcher, "Here it is."

As Tali and Garrus rounded the same vehicle, they both stopped in their tracks while Shepard continued forth. Bad memories began bubbling up and Garrus held his head in his hands as he audibly groaned.

"There is no way that I'm going with you in that," the turian shook his head. "I'm sorry, Shepard, but there is no way in hell that you can convince me."

"Why not?" Shepard replied as he took his foot off the Mako's ladder, "I wasn't _that _bad a driver, was I?" He turned to Tali for support, "Come on, we all got through all of those adventures in one piece, right? Besides, Ilos was all _Joker's _fault in the first place…"

"Err…" she could only mutter, "Couldn't we at least consider the going on foot option?"

Shepard's mouth dropped in incredulosity. "This isn't a damn joke," he pointed out. "Get in the Mako, right now, both of you."

Garrus raised his hands, "Shepard, I understand your point of view, but I'm still really skeptical about getting into a moving vehicle after all those mishaps-"

"I'll let you take control of the gun."

"Say no more," the turian rapidly switched gears, practically running for the vehicle at this point, clambering up the ladder so fast that he had seemed to be a literal blur. Tali stared, dumbfounded, at the place the turian had previously occupied before his impromptu departure.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Garrus voice echoed from the hatch, "Are we going or what?"

"Damn turian," Shepard shook his head, watching Tali now head over to him as he leaned on one of the Mako's six large wheels. Before she headed up the ladder, she gave Shepard a quick hug. Just one more tender connection before they headed out. They all counted for something at this point, each one just a little more special.

Tali gave a small laugh as she recalled something, "Do you want me running tech interference again?"

He put a hand on her shoulder, "Why change what you do best, after all?"

"Just try not to kill us with your driving, okay? That would be quite ironic, considering all we've been through."

"Honestly," he shook his head, "It's like I'm sixteen again getting badgered for getting my driver's license."

"What's that?"

He stopped, forgetting that quarians did not use transportation the way humans did. "I'll tell you later," he said, hoping that he would get that chance at least. "Not important at the moment."

"In any case, we should probably get going," she said as she smoothed a hand over his cheek, the most intimate action she could accomplish with a helmet on in place of a kiss. Shepard held her hand in place as they lingered a moment more.

"Are you afraid, Tali?" he asked quietly.

She said nothing at first, beginning to climb up the ladder, leaving him behind. He stared at her sadly before she turned around, about to enter the Mako's hatch. "Yes," she said matter-of-factly. "But I've never let that stop me before."

_Then you're stronger than I ever could be,_ he thought sourly as he followed her up.

* * *

It seemed that from the first moment the convoy set out from the FOB, everything went to hell at once.

The lead car had tracked movement from above but failed to properly react in time, rendering everyone else oblivious to the looming threat. With a victorious cry, the harvester swooped down and unleashed a glowing ball of plasma, melting through the first vehicle's fuel cell, igniting it and sending a blue fireball up into the sky.

"_Contact two! Repeat, contact two! Engaging at St. Johns!"_

All at once, Reaper troops began pouring out from the buildings on all sides of the road, overwhelming the soldiers on the ground. Cries of pain went up as the Alliance forces were mobbed, staggering from the surprise attack. Cauterized limbs fell to the ground as the horde pressed forward, unleashing their full fury.

Seated in the turret position, Garrus was picking the troops off one by one as he held the trigger down on auto. The Mako's machine gun released a raking force that cut several cannibals in half as he moved the muzzle across the street. Shepard threw the Mako in reverse to avoid the charge of a brute, its body just missing them as it barrelled into the side of an abode.

That was just the opportunity that Garrus seized. Whirling to face the huge lummox, Garrus hit the secondary fire and the mass accelerator cannon boomed, displacing the brute's torso all over the adorning shrubbery.

"_This is unit one, we are in position. Transferring main protocol to Thanix tanks."_

A flare of light made Shepard's head turn sharply. A ball of bright white energy was hurtling towards the Mako, projected from a banshee on the other side of the boulevard. There was no time to move out of the way, so Shepard's hand shot to the micro-thruster controls, sending the Mako levitating for a few seconds as the intruding projectile passed harmlessly underneath.

The thrusters had been spent for the time being and the vehicle crashed to the ground, straining one of the shock absorbers. Shepard's shock nullified body was unharmed but Tali was a little shaken, and Garrus was bleeding from the mouth where he had bit his tongue as the car hit the ground. Ignoring her slight injury, Tali immediately went to work on the repair diagnostics to see if she could get the Mako fully operational while Garrus grumbled before turning back to the turret.

If the turian wanted to take out his anger on the banshee, then he was out of luck for Shepard floored the gas and the Mako shot forward. Tali gripped the console with fear as the human drove like a madman, aiming for the modified asari in his sights. The banshee either had no barriers left to draw a biotic charge from or it was simply confused by what was happening. In the end, it made no difference because with a crunch of bone, it was pulled underneath the enormous tires, ground to a pulp between the concrete and the vehicle's high mass, and spat out in a bloody mess after it had finished rolling over it.

Shepard allowed a small smile, "I forgot how gratifying it was to do that."

"I'm glad _one _of us is having fun," Garrus sighed as he continued to look down the sights of the gun, an arm thrust out to steady him from banging his head on the ceiling.

Wrenching the wheel to the side, the Mako turned abruptly to the right as it left the battle, bowling over a few husks along the way, their fragile bodies liquefying underneath the tires. Tali was clinging to her armrests as the machine smashed through a nearby brick wall, mass accelerators softening the blow somewhat as the tank lumbered onto the empty street, the ambush behind them.

"_First volley ineffective. Beam's causing targeting interference. Reaper approaching our position. Readying next volley." _

Based on the radio reports, it looked like the first unit had felt like they were pressed for time. Perhaps they were being pressured by the waves of enemies surrounding them or they had thought that their first shot was relatively clean. In either case, it would be a good idea to pick up the pace.

There was still fighting going on ahead but there was more space to maneuver and this group here appeared to have the upper hand. Krogan rushed the enemy, shouting their battle challenges before they engaged in deadly tackles. Shotgun blasts opened up holes in marauders and they fell into the street to be stepped over as the line advanced.

Fellow soldiers and troops parted to let Shepard's Mako through without incident. Garrus resumed his duties at the turret, firing at will at a ravager that had scurried out of an apartment building, the venom from its burst sacs causing the ground to smoke. Now that the way was clear of friendlies, Shepard shot the tank forward once more, hearing the satisfying thumps as body after body impacted with the hood.

Tali glanced over at Shepard in amusement, "I can safely say that _you're _not going to be doing any driving when we finally get our home."

He laughed. That was good, he could go for a bit of levity right about now. "Keep dreaming, Tali," he grinned as he knocked over a lightpost in the process. "I'm going to be doing _all _the driving because I am a very good driver, believe it or not."

"Why do I doubt that very much?" Garrus muttered as the suddenly tilted Mako rolled over a parked car in the street, crumpling the windshield and setting off its alarm, wailing into the night. "Are you _aiming _for every single obstacle in the road?"

"Oh, shut up, Garrus!" Shepard shouted as he veered to avoid a large sinkhole, the momentum sending the turian bouncing along. This next turn led them into a public park, Regent's Park, according to the sign. Here, they could see the tall red forms of geth primes level their Spitfires at a horde of ravagers and husks, their long range keeping the Reaper forces at bay. The rapid fire plasma melted flesh and rotted sinew, the ex-humans practically dissolving into the grass as everything flared blue-hot for a brief second before their miserable existence was blotted out.

The Mako skirted around the geth lines, Shepard not even bothering to turn the wheel as bushes and small trees met the unfortunate fate of being unceremoniously run over with a tank. Either Shepard did not have a particular love for gardening or his anxiety was nearing its peak.

The radio blinked red as someone was speaking towards him directly. _"Com-Commander_," the man coughed. _"It's Vega. We're on-site, last round of Thanix missiles are almost ready to deploy against the destroyer."_

He held the receiver to his mouth, "Can you hold a bit longer? We've been delayed and had to reroute, ETA to our position in roughly five minutes."

"_That's...that's too long, Shepard. We're getting overwhelmed at our rally point right now- watch out!"_ Gunfire overtook the man on the comm as Shepard restlessly waited for the man to resume. _"Half our forces are already gone, we can't stay here!"_

Shepard gripped the wheel furiously, his brain telling him to do one thing while his heart said to do another. He closed his eyes and swore quietly before picking up the receiver, "Do...do you require backup?"

"_Negative. You head to your rally point, we'll handle this hijo de puta for you!" _

"Dammit, James, don't be a hero on me, if you need backup just say the word-"

"_Nope,"_ Vega responded as assault rifle bursts interrupted the exchange, _"We've...agh...we've got it covered. EDI's...fuck me….EDI's working on the missiles right now, she...oh crap."_

A crunching of feet now joined the din as Tali watched with wide eyes. Shepard, concerned, keyed the talk, "Lieutenant, what's going on? James, report!"

"_It's...it's EDI. She got hit by one of those...you motherfuckers!" _James' roar filled the cabin as the marine was most certainly firing his rifle in retaliation.

Shepard flipped up his omni-tool simultaneously, "EDI, what's going on?"

"_A stray beam hit the unit's central processing unit after it penetrated the shields,"_ the AI reported smoothly. _ "I am unable to retain control of it but I still have the Thanix missiles prepped. I'm sorry I couldn't do more, Shepard."_

"Garrus, take the wheel!" Shepard barked as his concentration stretched between two things at once. The turian clambered over as Shepard awkwardly shuffled out into one of the extra seats behind Tali. To EDI he now spoke, "Can you fire the missiles from where you are?"

"_Negative, the ignition requires manual input."_

"James!" Shepard practically hollered, "Get to the control panel and hit the switch now!"

"_Roger that!" _the marine roared, staccato bursts flitting in and out. _"Missiles away!"_

The mic was quiet for half a minute until the boom seemed to rattle the Mako from within, loose parts shaking around horribly as the ground trembled beneath them.

Thanix volleys in atmosphere tended to have devastating effects as the liquid alloy reacted violently to any solid at high speeds. The pulse from the shockwave leveled trees, splintering the trunks down to the shaft. The wind rushed horribly, taking husks off their feet and sending them through the air. Any window that had not been shattered already did so, the tinkling of glass coating the sidewalks with tiny jagged edges.

Garrus started determinedly ahead, fighting for control of the vehicle and winning as Shepard took a deep breath. "James," he spoke slowly, "What is the status of the target?"

"_Missile..."_ came the ragged reply,_ "Missile hit confirmed!" _ There was a whoop on the other end, _"Ha ha! We fucking did it! The destroyer is down, the bitch is dead!"_

_Thank god._

"Okay, Lieutenant," he breathed a little easier now, "Regroup and fall back to the FOB now. We'll make sure to-"

"_Ah, sorry to disappoint you there, Shepard, but I don't think that's going to work."_

"What? Why?"

A harsh laugh was emitted, _"Shepard, I'm all that's left. I can see hundreds of the bastards climbing over the blockades. They'll be on me in seconds."_

"Goddamn it, no!" Shepard shouted. "James, you pull out of there right now! Do you hear me? Pull out immediately!"

"_You're breaking up bit, Shepard,"_ Vega sighed. _"There's nothing you can do for me at this point."_

"James, if I have to drag your sorry ass out of there, so be it I'll-"

"_Thanks for the ride, commander_," came the droll reply and a howl soon pierced the air as firearms discharged, the roar of cannibals sounding audibly over the radio. Shepard clutched the transmitter in horror as the terrible noises continued to broadcast. Even Garrus had leaned over, a shocked expression on his face as Tali trembled.

"_Come on you fucks! Is that the best you got? Ha ha haaaaaa! You can't beat me! You've lost, you motherfuckers! Do you hear me? You've-"_

With brief instant of a yell, the transmission cut off, only static coming through. Garrus let out a tempered breath as Tali hung her head. Shepard's arm dropped down in disbelief as the heavy realization sank in.

_Will it be enough? Will it stop right here? _

It was probably the best death a marine could hope for, to die gloriously on the field of battle, surrounded by one's enemies as they laughed in their faces. It had a rather poetic ring to it, something that Vega would never stand for but it suited his actions nonetheless.

The time for mourning was not upon them yet, but for their respect. Giving a life for the cause, that was James' duty to the letter and he followed it exceptionally. That was the kind of stuff soldiers won medals for. He made a note to put in a good word for the young marine for it would be the least he deserved if they saw victory this day.

"_Fuck_," he said quietly, hanging his head, Tali putting an arm on his back, the soft touch doing wonders and keeping him from falling further into despair. His fists clenched so tightly he thought that his skin would burst.

"Shepard?" Garrus called from the driver's seat, "We're in sight of the target. What do you want to do?"

He sighed as he lifted his head back up, anger overriding any other instinct. Situating himself in between the front seats, he gazed out at the luminous beam before breathing his final command.

"Drive."

With a lurch, the Mako slid down a small cliff and as its shock absorbers aligned it with the incline, Garrus put his foot down to the floor and the tank took off. It was completely clear, a straight shot to the beam. There was a little less than a mile to cover, at their current speed they would be there in under sixty seconds. The tires, rotating as fast as they could, spun over the dusty concrete as it approached the bright terminus.

Shepard could feel himself on the edge with anticipation, barely able to hold still. Tali's hands were twisting in a knot as Garrus alternated between softly cursing and disbelieving exclamations. Nothing was going to stop them now.

Half a mile to go, thirty seconds and counting.

He allowed a tiny smile in exuberance before a pit in his stomach opened up and he felt his entire skin prickle as if he had been dipped in ice water. Shepard's eyes widened, he had felt this sensation many times before.

_Oh no...please not now…_

**SHEPARD!**

He groaned out loud as he hunched over, his head feeling like it was about to split. He clutched at it, hoping to drive the pain away as the grating voice continued.

**You have become more than an annoyance. You push against forces you cannot possibly hope to shift. The cycle will continue!**

"Garrus," Shepard gritted, "Keep driving. Just drive!"

With a huge quake, the Mako flew a few feet in the air as something impacted with the ground close by, causing Tali to gasp in alarm. Adjusting the vehicle's course, Garrus grimaced as a towering form was now situated behind the beam itself, rising a good kilometer over them as its ugly yellow eyes glowered at them.

Harbinger.

The turian yanked the wheel to the left, just as the Reaper loosed a beam at the vehicle, barely missing the rear end. Without warning, a _second _beam appeared from underneath Harbinger's chassis and it too pursued the determined Mako as it raced ahead towards the bright glowing center.

Wherever Harbinger's attacks touched, they gouged a line in the dirt, creating black glass as all the particulates were fused together. Small fires and blasts of heat trailed in its wake, Garrus swerving left and right as he desperately tried to avoid the barrage.

Tali was saying something quietly to herself but cut off as she whirled in her seat, wanting one last look back at Shepard. He could not find anything to say to her as he realized the hopelessness of the situation. Somehow, he found the will to make his face calm and allay her fears with his serene expression. He could see her shoulders visibly relax as her terror drained out of her, peace falling upon her frame.

**You cannot hope to destroy what you fail to understand. Know this, Shepard.**

Blood-red light filtered on the right side of the Mako and suddenly the entire vehicle tilted on its side, sliding forward helplessly. A beam had sliced the right three wheels off. Shepard could see Garrus struggling to maintain control as they continued to slide, Tali reaching for him desperately as the white from the beam started to blind them. They were close...so close.

Squealing emitting from the raw axle, sparks flying, Garrus roared as the Mako lurched, its momentum carrying it up and over. Disoriented, Shepard saw every loose thing start to fly as the vehicle flipped, the ground rushing underneath them. With a jolt capable of shattering spines, he felt the earth rush over him once, twice, three times before everything momentarily went black.

* * *

The first thing he felt was pain. Blinking blood out of his eyes, he groaned as he sat up, still full of energy thanks to the amount of punishment his endoskeleton could take. A normal body would have been broken in pieces after a wreck like that.

Shepard was surprised to see that he had been flung outside during the crash, landing just meters away from the stricken Mako, now wrecked on its side. Peering closely, he could see a jagged hole on the right side of the craft, most likely torn away during the vehicle's acrobatics.

Blood was still beading into his eyes so he took a hand and held it up to his forehead, where the bleeding was coming from. Something seemed to be loose there and he tore away, holding a folded flap of skin in his hand. It must have been shredded away when he had landed, he determined, rather miffed at the fact that his elaborate epidermis was now ruined.

His armor itself was not faring well either. Cracked after landing hard on the ground and skidding back several feet, several plates had been torn away, leaving his body exposed to the elements. He huffed as he rose to his feet, removing his destroyed greaves in a daze. Coherent thinking was slowly seeping back to him as the roar of the wind brought him back to his senses. In alarm, he gazed upward, searching for his foe. Harbinger was still there but did not have him in a direct line of fire. He didn't have much time before the Reaper noticed him.

Something clamped down hard on his shoulder and he abruptly turned, hand reaching for a pistol that was not there before stopping in panic. Tali, unharmed and completely lucid, lowered her head to shout above the din as he felt relief surge within him.

"John! Are you okay?" She ignored the metal that had been exposed from his head, which was a relief to him. The last thing he wanted at this point was to alienate his own friends, least of all the woman he loved, with his appearance.

He nodded dumbly, "Apart from being battered a bit, I'm fine."

The quarian pointed towards the beam, just a light jog away. "We need to go now! This might be our only chance!"

"Wait!" he shouted as he clamped down on her wrist, now noticing that the back of his glove had been scraped off, revealing the intricate metal components of his apparatus moving back and forth. "Where's Garrus?"

Answering his question, there was a rattle as the hatch to the Mako opened before falling off. A blue armored form dropped out, following it as he hit the ground hard. The left side of the turian's face was completely coated in blue blood, dripping as his left mandible was hanging by a few strands of sinew. Garrus used the Mako to try to stand as he hobbled in place. From here, Shepard could see a shock of white bone stick out from the turian's shin as he wavered. A compound fracture, a crippling blow.

He took two steps forward to rush to the turian's aid until the air seemed to turn still. A vibration beat in his chest, pulverizing his heart. The setting seemed to take on an unnatural echo, reverberations bouncing around in his ears. His mouth was dry, pulse racing, as he finally understood.

Harbinger loomed over the Mako as it appraised the three of them. The drumming roar shot through their very bones as the tentacle-like legs bent slightly. Shepard found his feet rooted to the spot, unable to move as he witnessed the telltale glow of red appear from within the Reaper. Point-blank range. No escape in sight.

Garrus sighed as he leaned against the vehicle, gasping in pain and tearing off his eyepiece so he could look at Shepard for one last time.

Even with the grinding and gnashing sounds from the Reaper, he could still hear the turian clearly over the cacophony.

"Shepard, meet me at the b-"

A series of missiles overhead suddenly thundered against Harbinger, raining down bits of metal as a squadron of Tridents zoomed by, leaving contrails in the thick smoke. The volley was enough to throw off the Reaper's aim slightly, but only just.

As Harbinger twitched down and to the left, it expelled the beam it had been charging in a rush. It streaked out and brushed against the Mako, causing it to expand in a glowing ball of flame. The last Shepard saw of Garrus was his complacent form suddenly engulfed by fire. He could not hear himself screaming over Tali's sobs as he sprinted towards the burning machine, reaching out to pry his friend from the inferno. The flames licked at him, scorching his skin as his flesh burned, making him wince in pain.

There was a _whump _and Shepard found himself flying backward as the fuel cell of the Mako detonated. Everything flared red as the most unbelievable pain he had ever experienced surrounded him, locked in the fire's tender embrace. He saw everything spinning as he felt the burn abruptly fade. His lungs rattled uncomfortably as he landed on his back, sending up small clouds of dust. He heard a small snap and blue electricity surrounded him, crackling as the smell of ozone came to him. His shield generator had just been smashed to bits against the hard surface. Grasping at the ground, he hauled himself up as he saw the smoke plume upward, the vehicle beginning to smoulder.

The pulsing from the beam was getting stronger but it went unnoticed as Shepard could only stare out into space, at the very spot he had seen Garrus last standing. For some reason, he could not feel any more pain from the fire at all, and he had been in there for a few long moments. He brought a hand to his head in disbelief and was met with a sharp _ting _of metal against metal. Confused, he looked down at himself and regarded himself in silence.

His entire armor had been completely destroyed from the fire and explosion, blowing it off his body entirely. With his skin exposed, the heat had charred and melted it away, leaving his gleaming body free once more. The interlocked segments in his arms were able to click and whir as they pleased, his skeletal fingers reaching toward the sky as he regarded himself in silence.

Shepard reached towards the back of his neck, wanting his own confirmation and felt his fingers hit metal at the base. So, the nerve endings had been completely fried which was why he felt no pain anymore. It was why he did not feel anything right now. Was his humanity the final sacrifice to make? Was this some sort of cruel test to prove how strong his drive was? A nightmare brought upon him until he could actually wake up?

He stopped screaming for his friend once Tali had reached him, her warm fingers guiding his cold ones. Shepard knew how hideous he must look in Tali's eyes, despite the fact that he could not see her expression, as the mechanical demon that only looked fit for a terrifying hallucination pitifully gazed at her. The quarian's body language, though, told him it did not matter and she held him determinedly, skin or no skin. She had passed the point of judgment, it was only them now.

"Come on!" she screamed. "_Come on!_"

Obeying, body numb, he followed in the wake of her grasp, running with her as they approached the beam. Shepard felt light on his feet, his body unrestricted and disengaged from reality. Together they dashed, past the faint wisps of light coming from the beam, past the lumbering Reaper swinging around for another shot, past the pools of liquid that accumulated near the entrance.

He hustled through the cold until it seemed like the light was pulling on his frame, beckoning to him. Tali continued on, holding his hand, until they met the brightness as one. Without hesitation, they took that fateful step and screamed in unison as their molecules were torn apart, displaced by the brightness as they physically left Earth. Streaking upwards, they became pure energy as they ceased to exist for a single moment, like the movement of electrons along a wire.

The unknown willingly met, they faced their fate as they shot towards the enormous station.


	35. Chapter 11: The Nightmare's Resolution

All matter drove together as one as the form came into being. Life flooded within him again as his body was stitched together one atom at a time, materializing out of thin air.

Shepard only had time to view the floor rushing beneath him before he landed upon it with a harsh _bang, _body skidding across the room for a few seconds, sending up sparks. Instinctively, he jumped up unharmed, body covered with a light coating of ash as he turned in all directions, searching for the person who had accompanied him.

There was no one there. No one else was in the small room with him, or currently following him up from the small device situated in the corner. Surely she would have come out at this time, it was not like this sort of transportation had a traffic delay.

"_Tali_," he whispered intensely into the room, hoping that she could hear him. "Tali, are you here?"

Nothing, the hallway was completely deserted. Even his comm was down, unable to find any connections in the nearby vicinity. There was no point in lingering around any longer if she was not even here to begin with. There was a door at the far end which seemed like a good place to start. Hopefully he could find Tali and then locate the necessary controls somewhere here, wherever this place was. First things first.

Starting to get used to the sensations of just inhabiting his metallic form again, Shepard clomped through the door and was thrust into an even longer hallway filled with doors situated in rows. He walked to the door directly across from him and it opened to reveal a room identical to the one he had just walked out of.

_Are all of these rooms exactly the same? Did Tali come out of one of these?_

He knew he did not have any time to search them all. The fleet was getting torn apart out there and he knew he could not waste any time searching for one person in this maze. Tali very well could have come to the same conclusion about him and had gone off in a different direction entirely, perhaps to search for the appropriate console.

The place did not look like any part of the Citadel that he had been to. Of course, there were millions of places on the enormous station that he had not witnessed with his own eyes so this should not have come as a surprise. The low ceiling and the dimly lit corridors told him he was in a maintenance shaft for keepers, most likely.

In confirmation, a keeper trotted out of a room just to his side, oblivious to the cyborg in its midst. Shepard stared as the quadrupedal form walked over to another door and moved inside. He was all alone again, stuck by indecision on where to go.

It was hard to determine which direction he should take as he looked down both ends of the endless corridor. He may have been synthetic but in no way was he psychic. There was only a fifty-fifty chance of him choosing the path Tali went down correctly. Make the wrong choice and it was likely that they would have an even harder time finding each other again.

From out of the corner of his optics, he saw a whitish light flickering at the end of the hall to his right, eliminating the darkness as something was emitting an illumination. The opposite side was still dark and he figured that Tali would not have walked away from the growing light so he decided to head in that direction, breaking into a light jog as door after door passed him by.

As the light grew brighter as he continued on, he could feel the weight of all the souls he had known watching him, waiting for him, awaiting an end to the eternal conflict. His breathing became a steady drag, measured intakes as he lifted one foot in front of the other, anticipating the impact upon the metal surface.

_Ashley...Kaidan...Mordin...Legion...Liara...James...Garrus…_ He gave a low growl at the thought of his compatriots, his friends. Even the last memory of a droll turian grinning at him brought a pang to him, a stab to where it hurt the most. _I swear I will end this right here._

Bursting out of the shadows, Shepard stopped as he now found himself situated over a chasm upon a bridge. The walls of the sides of the artificial canyon were shifting all over the places, reacting to unseen stimuli. Pylons moved with the walls, arcing electricity as they spat forth the illumination that had been seen from the hallway prior.

Shepard stepped back as a pylon descended near his location, getting a safe distance away from the deadly energy. The bridge was not exactly safe for someone consisting of an incredibly conductible substance, so he took care to move off it as quickly as possible. Shepard could not even fathom the reason why this place existed. For all he knew, it could be the power generators for the station, a hydraulics shaft for the moving arms, or an elaborate bathroom. His guess was as good as anyone's at this point.

After stepping off the bridge, the path sloped immensely upwards. Taking care not to slip on the steep incline, Shepard trudged up it as he now saw a soft orange light near the peak. Intrigue and anxiety clashing in a boiling mass, he quickened his pace as fast as he could without slipping and falling. Delays were not something he could afford at the moment.

Reaching the top, he blinked in surprise as the view was revealed to him. A few meters ahead was a circular platform with a simple console standing at the end. Above the platform, a structure was positioned that occasionally sent out a spark of lightning, creating the foul smell of ozone that seeped through Shepard's olfactory tubing. He gave a quick cough as he admired the view beyond.

The interior of the Citadel, illuminated before him, glinted like a precious jewel, a geode. The light from the structure filled his optics with orange light, as if its inhabitants were merrily going about their business, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. If he concentrated enough, he could even see the faint lights of skycars traveling through their preset routes, still clinging to their everyday routine on board the station.

_What is going on?_

The glowing console beckoned to him, blinking in the absence of a controller. Seeing as there were no other routes to traverse, there was no harm in him taking a look, was there? Besides, he could see the schematics of the station illuminated from where he stood. Most likely, he could open the station from here. Job well done.

Shepard lifted his foot and set it down, preparing to go further when it felt like he had just been dipped in concrete. He tried sliding his foot forward a bit but found that it was stuck to the floor, as if someone had poured glue on that very spot.

For that matter, his arms were stuck in their position, slightly out and away from his torso. He could still move his head a bit but it was noticeably more difficult to do so, feeling like he was submerged in a thick liquid. Shepard's limbs shook in response, fighting against the unseen grip that had held him in place.

"What the hell…?" he muttered.

"Congratulations, Shepard," a familiar voice sounded from behind him. "You've come farther than I ever could have imagined."

_No...no, god, please…_

Soft soles echoing slowly, he strained to turn his head before his gaze dropped to see a set of shining shoes, well-tailored pants, a crisp jacket, and a face he had hoped to never see again in his lifetime.

The Illusive Man smiled as he spread his arms wide, stepping between Shepard and the console. The human looked radically different from when Shepard had seen him last, much to his shock. The flesh of his face was all cracked and peeling, blue wiring exposed underneath the skin. The man's eyes glowed blue, like a husk, and his hair had fallen out in several places. His hands had been completely expunged of skin, the circuitry glimmering as if he had put on elaborate gloves. In short, the man was a wreck.

Shepard's jaw dropped, voice coming out in a metallic croak, "What have they _done _to you?

"You mean these?" the man indicated his glowing facial features before giving a laugh. "I guess you could call these _upgrades_. Reaper technology, of course. Quite astonishing, really, once you get used to them."

"You have no idea what you're _doing_," Shepard growled as he fought his invisible bonds, desiring to snap his tormentor's neck very violently. The hidden presence in his mind twitched and Shepard found himself at the mercy of a power greater than his own, forcing his body to betray itself.

"From your point of view, I'm sure, my goals may seem a little..._barbaric_. But even now, you stand in the presence of what the Reapers can actually do for all of us. You have to trust me when I say that this is all for the good of mankind."

"And which mankind are you referring to? Just humanity or just Cerberus?"

Now the Illusive Man walked forward, hand held out as it tenderly brushed Shepard's jaw. If he had the ability to lash out and bite off the man's hand, he would have done so.

"All of Cerberus stands for humanity," the husk growled. "We stand for the preservation of our own species, a trait that you never embraced thereby enabling you to push against our point of view."

"I don't...exactly recall the fact that preserving our species requires us to implant ourselves with Reaper technology!"

At this, the Illusive Man gave a shrug, "All radical ideas are controversial at first. Many oppose them in the beginning but sooner or later everyone adapts. It's the same pattern that has followed every single discovery made in all of our history. The automobile, the airplane, the splitting of the atom, the rise of artificial intelligence, all those were scrutinized heavily but now they have become part of our culture, part of our galactic biography."

"But our free will is what makes us human, what makes us...human _and _alien, _alive_! How can you compare all that to indoctrination?"

The Illusive Man knelt down so that their he was situated lower than Shepard. "You call yourself alive?" he whispered before he drove a fist into the metal torso without warning. The blow felt like he had just gotten hit with a freight train and he sent up a dry heave as his stomach was uncomfortably compressed. A blow like that should have broken fingers but the Illusive Man now stood as if he had just punched a pillow, flexing his hand thoughtfully.

"You _exist _right now because of our intervention, Shepard," the man said coldly. "You lost your humanity when you lost your life over Alchera. You're not alive, you're just a sad sack of organs encased in a perpetual limbo. A machine playing the deluded dream of being Commander Shepard, claiming to cheat death time and time again."

Shepard had no words for the deranged man, helpless as he continued to rant in front of him as he displayed his poisonous thoughts. He wondered where Tali was as the words continued to seep into his head. Did she take the opposite route instead? Did she even make it up here?

"...Your recent attitude has been a clear indication. Opposing my every move? Ransacking my organization at every given opportunity? You've been a loose cannon from the very start, a project I should never have sunk my teeth into had I known you were going to be this much of a handful, had I known that your project would be overseen by a bunch of _incompetents_..."

"I seem to remember that _I_ was not listed among those incompetents, sir," a new voice slithered out from behind, from a distance. "If memory serves me, I did give you a fair warning ahead of time."

"Be quiet, Henry," the man shushed. "I wasn't talking about you."

_Rukin_. So, he was here as well. That was fine, once he was freed from this grasp he would cave both of their heads in with-

The Illusive Man glanced beyond at something out of Shepard's vision but it caused the man to smile broadly. Turning away for a second, he spoke mildly to the commander, "I've just been fortuitously reminded of another grievance I've had with your little 'escapades.'"

"Oh yeah?" Shepard snarled. "And what might that be?"

"Merely the poor life choice you made with developing a relationship with a _quarian_, is all."

_She'll cut your head off for even mentioning her like that._ "Why the hell do you care whom I choose? She has nothing to do with this. It's just us three right now."

The Illusive Man arched an eyebrow, "Three? Don't you mean..._four_?"

He heard Rukin's stomping feet before the black form could even come into view but it was accompanied by a soft whimpering. A voice that stirred forth a rising anger, a rage so inherent he embraced it as if he had felt this way his whole life.

_No…_

A shadow partly blocked out the Citadel's light and he raised his head to see the skeleton-like form of Rukin stand, his hideous mug seemingly smiling at him. But in front of the cyborg, a pistol shoved firmly in her back, was Tali. A metal arm had her by the neck as the other arm drove the gun in deeper, making her cry out in pain.

Shepard gave a bellow as he tried to surge forward but he was still being held in place, black tendrils starting to overcome his vision. An optical malfunction, perhaps? Tali's eyes were wide behind her visor, she was so terrified. The fact that she was afraid and in pain drove Shepard insane to the point where he nearly blacked out from his blistering frenzy.

Rukin laughed, "Careful, Shepard. Wouldn't want to do anything rash, now would we?"

Tali struggled in his grip. "_John_," she whispered, "_John...help…_"

The Illusive Man scowled, "Incredible, it's even on a first name basis with you as well. My god, Shepard, it's like you have no shame. You _and _the quarian..."

"_Her name is Tali!_" Shepard screamed, the noise deafening in the small area.

"Whatever," the husk shrugged. "Clearly it looks like the quarian was the one thing tying you to your past altogether, the one that brought you back to your supposed 'life.'" He walked over and placed a hand underneath Tali's helmet as he forced her to look directly at him, now addressing her. "What exactly did you do to him to make him so..._obsessed_ with you?"

"You don't get to touch her!" Shepard seethed. "Take your goddamned hands off of her!"

"Touchy, touchy," Rukin mocked as Tali squirmed in disgust. "Perhaps you shouldn't have brought her along then. It would have been easier for her in the end."

"Hold her still for a moment, Henry," the Illusive Man ordered, watching his lackey straighten. Before anyone could think of what was happening next, the enhanced human threw his fist into Tali's gut, punching in a good few inches. Tali let out a wet cry and a horrid gasp for air as she struggled to breathe. Shepard was snarling like an animal at the sight of her in pain and was thrashing his limbs every inch he could muster. Feeling the surge of power, he forced himself on his knees so that he could grasp the ground with his hands, feeling the tension rise.

"You see, Shepard?" the Illusive Man gestured to the sputtering quarian in Rukin's grip. "You don't give me the orders. _I _am the one with control over you...over the quarian. Not you."

Shepard forced himself to laugh, despite the anger, "You aren't controlling anyone. It's just the Reapers, they're using you as a puppet."

"Really? If the Reapers are controlling me, then how come I can do _this_?" The man raised his glowing arm and Shepard's body rose a foot off the ground. Refusing to give in, he shot the Illusive Man the most glowering look his eyes could muster and the man released his grip, sending the cyborg crashing down before the hold was on him again. "How come I can use their power against you?"

Recovering, he coughed, "_That's_ your proof? That's only the amount of control the Reapers limited you to. Your implants...they only enable the Reapers to control you a lot easier!"

"The proof you seek, Shepard, will be revealed when I finally have my hold on the Reapers. Only then will you realize the folly of your actions in your foolish campaign. Only then will I allow you to see the truth before I kill you. The undeniable truth that the Crucible has the capability to control the Reapers and that_ I _will be the puppetmaster, not as you say, the puppet."

"Might as well kill this one now," Rukin grimaced as Tali resumed her struggling. "The quarian's becoming quite a handful."

Tali immediately ceased upon hearing these words, gazing helplessly at Shepard, who lay on the ground, immobilized. The commander's pulse heightened and he clenched his fists in desperation.

"Not yet, Henry," came the smooth reply. "First, they see the truth. Then I leave them in your hands."

Panic was starting to grip Shepard before a revelation came to mind. An idea that caused a cautious rise of slyness within him. What was it he had heard before? A quote? But from where, and whom? The answer came within moments, the voice of the past whispering forth like a video on playback.

_...any outburst from the Crucible will result in mass shutdown of all Reaper forces by triggering a systems overload. Their processes will all flare as one, overheating the core and vaporizing the very power source the Reapers run on…_

He laughed quietly, so that no one could hear him and stared up at the Illusive Man. Giving a shrug, he relented, "Okay, then. Open the arms."

The husk blinked, "What?"

"You heard me. Open the arms of the Citadel. Let the Crucible dock. Prove to me that I'm wrong."

Now it was the Illusive Man's turn to laugh. "What is this, Shepard? Trying to pull some reverse psychology on me?"

"Nope," he answered with a hint of false cheeriness. "I just want you to prove to me that you're not full of shit. Prove to me that you have the balls to carry out your threat."

"I plan to, you little prick. I plan to." The Illusive Man started to walk over to the console, hand outstretched before he stopped in place. The arm wavered slightly before it was retracted, trembling as it did so. The man closed his eyes thoughtfully for a moment before he turned around at looked at Shepard again. "Why do you want me to all of a sudden?"

Shepard burst out laughing, his disbelieving hilarity traversing across the Citadel's expanse. The Illusive Man stood still, uncomprehending and looking quite confused. Tali was still in Rukin's stunned grip. having feared that the man she loved had finally gone insane.

"_J-John?_" she attempted meekly.

The Illusive Man scowled, "Just what do you think is so funny, Shepard?"

"You!" Shepard burst out amid his peals. "You don't get it, do you? They won't let you open the arms no matter how much you bluster. In the end, you're still a puppet who can't escape the strings."

"No one is controlling me!"

"Prove it! Open the arms!"

"Why should I listen to you?"

"Because you can't do it!" Shepard shouted, teeth gnashing victoriously. "You can't control the Reapers and you know it! The Prothean beacon told me, as it told you. The Crucible cannot control the Reapers, it can only destroy them, so why are you fighting us when you could be fighting them?"

The Illusive Man's expression turned to stone until a wide smile broke apart his face, the flesh peeling. A nonchalant chuckle came from the man as he spread his arms in a shrug, "Ah, Shepard. You make for a poor liar, do you know that?"

Shepard sighed, frustrated that his words weren't reaching. "I think you know who's telling the truth and who isn't."

"Do I now? In that case, you might want to rethink your statement a bit."

"Maybe I will, once you let me and Tali go. We can show you the truth."

"And waste this potential opportunity for humanity to become even stronger?" The Illusive Man shook his head, "I don't think so."

This line of circular arguing had aggrieved Shepard to no end. Finally, he was at the end of his wits entirely. "If you don't open those arms right now, everyone will die!" he shouted. "Me, you, every person in the galaxy will perish because you prevented the cycle from ending today!"

"I told you before, do not presume to give _me _orders, Shepard!" the Illusive Man roared back. "You're forgetting that _I_ am still in control of the situation. _ I _can decide whether you live or you die _right now_ so don't tell me what to do!"

"Can you, really? Because what I see in front of me is a man unable to act on his own free will. You can't even bring it in yourself to kill me!"

"You doubt my resolve?!"

"Yes I do!"

"After everything I've done for humanity?"

"You've done nothing for humanity! _Nothing!_ Not once did you look at the big picture when you were sitting high and mighty on your throne. You've just been doing what the Reapers told you to do, a slave to their very will. All this time, you've weakened humanity and _you've never even noticed!_"

In the background, Rukin rolled his eyes as he glanced down at the pistol he held. Flicking a thumb down, the loud _snick!_ as the safety was set off drew everyone's attention to the metal monster as he gave a hearty snort.

"Christ, you people sound like a broken record." Barely finishing his sentence, there was a brief catch of plastic coming together and then a _boom _rocked everyone's eardrums as the shockwave from the report reverberated through them.

Shepard could only watch as everything unraveled in front of him, a slave to fate itself.

Blood, shockingly red, flew into the air in a ragged burst as a small cry joined it. Shepard saw Tali clutch at her stomach, her life seeping through her fingers as Rukin released her from his grip, shoving her away. Nothing holding her up, she collapsed on the ground, feebly twitching as a spreading pool stained the floor.

"_TALI!_" Shepard screamed, rooted to the spot, pure horror coursing through his form. "_NOOOO!_"

Rukin stepped over the coughing quarian as blood splattered the interior of her visor. Giving a harsh chuckle, he stepped over to the Illusive Man who looked rather incredulous.

"Damn it, Henry!" he chastised. "What the hell was that for? I told you I wanted them to watch!"

Rukin casually flipped his pistol in his hand, staring down at the fellow cyborg below him who was currently racked with dry sobs. "It was taking way too long. They were delaying you from your destiny, sir." He slammed a fresh clip into his gun, ignoring the moaning from the quarian, "Besides, they were going to die regardless. You said so yourself."

Shepard was rocking back and forth with agony, frantic with the need to reach Tali. She was lying in her own blood, helpless and afraid. She _needed _him, she needed to have someone with her.

To his shock, her arm jerked for a second as she reached for something, pushing past the unbearable pain to grasp something in one of her hidden pockets. An application of medi-gel? A specialized injection?

Meanwhile, the Illusive Man scowled as he finished berating Rukin, "-You screw up one more time and I'll have you sent to the refuse bin where you'll rust for the next twenty years. No more interruptions like that in the future, understand?"

Rukin gave a curt nod, seemingly uninterested, "Understood sir. However, I would just like to point out that-" The cyborg cocked his head as a small _thunk _came about. Peering carefully, he pointed at the Illusive Man, "Uh, sir? There's something on your shoulder."

The man's eyes followed the skeletal finger as he spied something clinging to the back of his right shoulder. A cool light shone from the pulsing blue ball as it churned with energy within, stuck to his expensive jacket. Eyebrows lifting in confusion, he looked downward to see Tali on the ground, clutching her Scorpion, breathing through the blood accumulating in her mouth.

With a dry rasp, she managed to choke out, relieved, "I _told _you that I'd kill you."

The husk's mouth dropped, Rukin yelled in shock, and Shepard laughed from behind them. Moments later, a harsh blue light overtook everything as the explosive detonated, filling the air with noise.

Rukin lifted his hands in shock to protect his metal face, black blood and meat coating him from the explosion. Organs dispersed in a shockwave as the lower half of the Illusive Man collapsed where it had stood. The upper part had been completely torn apart by the Scorpion's mini charge. Tali, quietly laughing, lay still and relaxed as Rukin took a shaking hand and wiped some of the slick fluids off his face, still in disbelief.

The agent only had a moment more to mull things over in his mind before he found himself tackled to the ground, Shepard freed from the Illusive Man's invisible hold and atop him wildly, already pummelling at his head with deadly blows. Rukin threw his arms up to protect his head and turned in a roll, breaking out of Shepard's hold. As the silver form came to pin him down again, the black cyborg kicked out and hit Shepard in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground.

Both cyborgs got to their feet at the same time, rushing towards one another without hesitation. Shepard's haymaker snapped Rukin's head back while the other man's blow caught the commander in the chest. Neither hits did any real damage aside from a few slight dents so they resumed, pounding on each other with the force and precision of a machine.

Shepard managed to get his fingers around Rukin's neck and held his head into position as he threw several punches at it, emphasizing his blows with all the fury out of his mouth, _"I'll...kill...you...mother...fucker!"_

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Rukin croaked, throwing an arm up and breaking out of Shepard's grip. As Shepard fumbled to get into a defensive position, Rukin smashed his face in with an enormous shot, windup and everything. As the commander reeled back, the agent took his chance and landed several punches to Shepard's torso, ducking and weaving through Shepard's sloppy counterattacks.

**You still resist. But you will still fail.**

Before he disengaged, Rukin took a mighty swipe and Shepard shuddered sideways as a corner of his protective chest plating was dented outward, exposing a good portion of the red synthsac within. Roaring, he threw his elbow backward and hit Rukin hard enough to send him tumbling down the incline towards the bridge, his pistol flying in the air as it became dislodged. Practically frothing at the mouth with a churning hate, Shepard slid down after him as the voices echoed from within.

"_Now go back and get the Lieutenant. You know it's the right choice, LT..."_

At the bottom, Rukin finished tumbling and rose to his feet, spitting furiously. Before he finished sliding down to the bridge, Shepard leaped and kicked his foot out, connecting hard and throwing Rukin down once more. As quick as lightning, Rukin sprung up again but the face that greeted Shepard was not the black skull, it was the face of someone he knew was long dead, mottled skin mixed with dull, blue eyes.

"_We can't stop it! Not forever…"_

Saren Arterius now advanced upon Shepard, growling and hissing as he bared his claws. Shepard stood in shock, pondering how this could be when the turian's form dissolved and Rukin appeared out of the mist, hurling his full weight forward as he tackled the commander. The agent raised his fists high and cracked them down on Shepard's chest, causing him to cough in pain.

**You are only prolonging the inevitable. Cease your struggle and give in to us.**

Strong appendages grasped Shepard's head and slammed it to the floor repeatedly, stunning him. Rukin grunted each time he moved, enjoying the thrill of the fight as well as his prey's helpless position.

"_Save her…"_

"I've waited for this day for months, Shepard!" Rukin yelled triumphantly in between slams. "Waiting to see the man who eluded me crumble beneath my fingers. You cannot imagine the satisfaction!"

Shepard was seeing stars, spots dancing before his eyes. The form of Rukin was now morphing into different beings as he continued to gloat. Saren, the Illusive Man, a Collector, Tali…

A fist trailed upward as it solidly connected with Rukin's face, throwing him off. Twitching his fingers, Shepard's omni-blade flared outward, causing Rukin to leap backward, evading the orange glow as it scythed towards him.

"Switching to something a little more deadlier?" Rukin called, extending his own blade. "I like your style."

"_Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong…"_

Poised over the bridge, the two brought their blades to clash in a wicked fusion of energy. Sparks emitted from the exchange, flaring into their optics. Both men pushed against each other, waiting to see who would disengage first. Their limbs fiercely shook as their hydraulics were strained to their limits, staring through the crossed swords in recognition of the fate that they shared.

**Are you so blind that you cannot see your folly? The ones who fell before you eventually met their fate willingly. Why not you?**

He ducked a nasty swing by Rukin, enabling him to surge forward in a stab. Thanks to quick reflexes, the combat form dodged the blow easily, causing Shepard to whirl in a hasty follow-up. However, Rukin's blade caught the next strike and knocked it out of the way, leaving Shepard defenseless for a split second. But Shepard turned too quickly for Rukin to react, slicing his blade across so that the tip racked Rukin's shoulder, leaving a thin line gouged in his endoskeleton.

"_Does this unit have a soul?"_

Rukin engaged his second blade and flew at Shepard, a whirling dervish. The commander chopped down to take the agent's first blade off course, leaning backward as the second sliced inches from his throat. He stutter-stepped before coming into Rukin's offensive stance, lowering his body and pushing out with his elbow, knocking Rukin back a few feet.

Snarling, Rukin chopped downward with both blades, causing Shepard to back off as he neared the edge of the bridge. His heels briefly trailed over but he caught himself, leaping safely to the side as Rukin lined up for another charge. Shepard tensed himself, vision still slightly blurry but doing his damndest to give everything an edge.

**Your tenacity is admirable but ultimately pointless.**

One arm raised, another lowered, the agent moved forward for a pincer strike, hoping for Shepard to leap to his right so that he could attack with both blades at the precise edge of his stance. However, Shepard saw through the move and slid to Rukin's _left_, swinging his blade forward and impacting through Rukin's arm, slicing through the omni-tool embedded within, blade quickly winking out as the electronic components were severed.

"_I know that we will meet again…"_

Rukin blinked at the omni-blade impaled through his arm before giving a scream of anger, wrenching it free, but not before Shepard's fist swung out and knocked the agent flat on his back, skidding his body downward a few feet.

Shepard backed up a bit as the still stunned Rukin rolled over on the ground, reaching for something out of sight. Running forward, Shepard knelt and leapt high, blade raised above his head for an overhead strike, aiming at the small of Rukin's back as he still remained situated on the floor.

"_Thanks for the ride…"_

In the middle of his leap, Rukin rolled around and extended his arm, yelling something unintelligible. The object at the end of the black cyborg's armed flared red-hot and Shepard felt a fire erupt in his chest, causing him to think of nothing else, except the excruciating pain that ate away at him.

Shepard screamed as blood flew from his mouth, crashing to the ground as Rukin rolled out of the way. His hands clutched over where the bullet had hit him, groaning as he pulled his hands away and they came away red, staining the silver metal underneath. With a growing horror, he looked down at himself and gasped as a gurgle trickled from a hole in his synthsac, where Rukin had wrenched the panel from his body.

"_Meet me at the bar…"_

Rukin stood gripping the smoking pistol, his mouth a perpetual grin as he looked at the writhing Shepard, who was now coughing up blood, dribbling down his shining chin. The black cyborg shook his head sadly as his counterpart lay incapacitated, gesturing with his remaining omni-blade.

"You know," he laughed, "It's funny if you think about it. The great Commander Shepard, felled by a single bullet. All that time you've stared death in the face, resisting against unfathomable odds, and something so small brings you down. An ignominious end for someone of your stature."

**Even now, you still refuse to accept the truth. Your fate is sealed, Shepard. Embrace it...and your pain will end.**

Shepard could not respond for it felt like with each beat of his heart his chest was slowly getting torn apart. He gurgled as the blood splashed from around his mouth, turning to the side to let it all drain out. His chest heaved as his life flowed through his metal hands, out of his metal body. He curled up as he felt everything ebb and fade, his failure embracing him.

_I'm so sorry, Tali._

A foot stepped into his vision and he glared upward, past his weak breathing, to see Rukin prepare his arm for the final strike, the gun discarded. Shepard relaxed himself, readying for the conclusion. If this was to be his last act, so be it. The cycle would continue and all life would be extinguished. That was what the Reapers wanted, wasn't it? For all life to be gone...all life...all life…all life...

"_Two parts of the same whole. I am your soulmate, John."_

Energy snapped his eyes open, the burning in his chest pushed aside as he gave a throaty rasp. Throwing everything he had into his body, he twisted his head backward, closing his eyes in anticipation anyway. He heard the _thunk _of the omni-blade impact into the ground inches from his head and Rukin's yell of surprise shortly thereafter.

The blow had missed.

Howling, Shepard grabbed Rukin's arm in a death grip, pinning it down to the ground. Alarmed, Rukin tried to yank himself away but Shepard was holding on too tightly. Throwing out his other arm, his palm impacted directly on the black cyborg's elbow, hearing the crack and snap of metal from within.

**How? How can you still resist?**

Rukin's arm bent like a cheap spoon, metallic parts rattling inside. The man could only stare at his maimed limb until the silver cyborg _twisted _in place and the entire limb was ripped off at the elbow, trailing parts across the floor, rattling over the side of the bridge. Rukin began to scream in rage until Shepard sent out a brutal kick, knocking the cyborg backwards into one of the pylons that had lowered from the ceiling.

The horrendous screech of pain from Rukin was almost unbearable to Shepard's ears, allowing him a moment to recover regardless. Electricity surged into the metal form as Rukin horribly twitched, the bursts searing into his body, into his brain. With a huge effort, Rukin broke contact with the pylon and fell to his knees, smoking. His limbs twitched uncontrollably as his fried nerves flared from unknown commands, charged from the energy that had enveloped his body.

Struggling to rise, Rukin barely got more than a few feet before Shepard drove his arm out from across the ground, omni-blade extended and now protruding through the black cyborg's knee. With a twist and a horrific grinding noise, the limb was made useless and Rukin toppled down for good.

Ignoring the blood pouring from his chest, Shepard rose and furiously held Rukin's body up before stabbing him through the shoulder blade. He heard the satisfying noise of metal components being severed and loosened, the clattering sound a welcome music as he withdrew his blade.

_For the Rayya, you bastard._

Shepard was growling as he now grabbed for his foe's head. Locking it in a hold, he mercilessly hit him full on in the face, hearing the dull ring of metal on metal as his fist connected once...twice...three times until the leftmost bolt connecting Rukin's lower jaw snapped and the piece was left hanging in place, at an awkward angle.

Rukin gave a pitiful moan as he reached up to set his now diagonal jaw right again but before any of that could happen, Shepard grasped the hanging jaw and _pulled _with all of his might, hearing the wails emit from his actions. After a few seconds, the entire jaw popped free as the final bolt fractured, leaving Shepard holding a metallic jawbone in his hand.

Rukin's red eyes widened in horror as he silently comprehended the repercussions before Shepard brutally smashed him in the head with his own jaw. Rukin's head bounced off of the ground and Shepard was on him again, bringing the jaw down with such incredible force that the frenzied silver cyborg managed to crack the other cyborg's head wide open, exposing a mass of wiring.

The beating continued as Shepard smacked Rukin every way before tossing the jaw over the edge. He was not finished yet, not by a long shot. Plenty more suffering to be had by the man laying at his feet. Shepard was breathing in a dreadful rasp but Rukin was a little more worse for the wear, his breath coming in a disgusting gurgle as he struggled with his damaged and broken body.

Stepping behind Rukin as he pitifully tried to crawl away, Shepard took his fingers and reached towards his enemy's face. As soon as they clutched over the object that he wanted, he yanked his arm out and the optic trailed wires and fluid as it was pulled out, Rukin screaming as it left him. Quickly, he did the same thing to Rukin's other optic and the cyborg flailed around on the ground, now blind.

A cough and the ground was flecked with tiny red dots. Shepard wiped his mouth, an involuntary gesture, as he bent to turn Rukin over, the cyborg struggling in his grip. Now that the black chestpiece was exposed, Shepard gripped the edge and pulled with all of his strength. The metal might as well have been putty in his hands for it bent and rendered as he tore the protective covering off the maimed cyborg. Rukin raised his remaining hand to ward off any further attacks but Shepard simply batted away the weak limb. His target was now in sight.

Positioning his hand just right, he took a second to consider the trajectory of his arm before he plunged it into Rukin's synthsac, the rubbery material ripping apart as if it was made of paper. Liquid lapped around Shepard's arm as his fingers groped around a firm, fleshy object. The man whose chest he was currently invading bucked on the ground and pleaded to thin air, voice cracking as he screamed. Shepard ignored him as he carefully brought his arm out from the synthsac, still clutching the object in his hand as he took it out into the open air.

Rukin was barely moving, even as Shepard held his still beating heart in his hands. His expressionless face gave no hint to an expressionless receptor. Both knew what would be the final blow, but Rukin gagged as the devastating pain lingered upon him, softly crying.

"_P-Please…" _came his gasp.

If it was supposed to be a request for mercy or death, it would be granted either way. Shepard prepared his fingers as they clamped down around the object. He eyed the blind cyborg at his knees as he fought to keep from passing out from the blood he had lost so far.

Shepard slightly shook his head. "This time," he growled sadly, "_Stay dead_."

Not looking, he clenched his hand together with a horrible _squelch _and warm blood exploded through his fingers, dripping to the floor. The fleshy meat was ground between his metal grip and he watched Rukin spasm suddenly as his heart ceased to beat any more. A large volume of blood was expelled from his mouth before his body fell still. With a final twitch of his foot, Rukin departed, leaving only an empty shell behind.

The remains of the organ fell from his fingers as Shepard's knees buckled and he fell down heavily, throwing out his arms to prevent him from smashing into the ground. He spat out another mouthful of blood as his chest warped his mind in torturous pain.

Numbly, he began crawling forward, disregarding the cyborg lying at the foot of the ramp. Fingers scraping across the smooth surface, Shepard began to ascend back up to the platform, blood dripping everywhere as he continued at his slow pace. Any faster and he would pass out from the pain for it felt like it was _everywhere_.

All at once, the incline leveled off and he used all of his strength to look across the platform, expecting the orange light and remains of the tussle in front of him.

Strangely, the grid of the Citadel was no longer the scenery that stood across the platform. Rather, the edge of the planet Earth came into view as faint explosions from the battle twinkled beyond. Tiny beams of red ran out from large ships and blue streaks arced across the expanse. The arms of the Citadel were open, and only now did Shepard see the spire of the Crucible peek out from past the platform, already connected as a brief pinprick of red began to grow from the tip.

Eyes trailing up from the huge pool of blood in the center of the room, he followed the streaks of red until they terminated at Tali's slumped form against the console at the end. Her hands hung loosely by her side, he then realized that _she _had opened the arms.

It seemed like an eternity that it took to reach her, half expecting his progress to be halted by the Reapers once more. But nothing reached out, the chill that had been a part of him had vanished, warmth replacing it in its absence. Struggling to breathe, he finally reached the still quarian and gently laid her upper body across his lap as he now leaned against the console, sighing in relief as the pain lessened somewhat.

Below him, Tali opened her eyes, a faint glow from beyond the threshold. "_J-John_," she whispered weakly, gently touching the edge of his body, his blood blotching on her fingers, "You're...you're _hurt…_"

It was as if she did not even acknowledge the gaping hole in her stomach, to his incredulity. He tried not to look at her wound as she now brushed the outline of his dented jaw, caressing his dull, gleaming head.

His hand lightly caught hers as he gave a quick squeeze, his anguish replacing his agony. "Please, Tali," he said haltingly, "Don't...don't try to talk. You're going to be just _fine…_"

"Oh John," she sighed, sounding far away, "It's too late for that...I'm...I'm _dying_…"

He coughed at her words, overcome by emotion as something flared in his chest, causing him to wince. Already, his world was starting to lose color, he was even feeling a little sleepy, despite the terrible discovery from her acceptance. "I…" he struggled to find the words, "I think...I might be too."

Tali choked, spluttering within her bloody visor, "I never...I never wanted it to be like this for us...I wanted to live with you...for the rest of my life."

The red glow was increasing in intensity behind them but they could only focus on themselves, wrapped in their own private universe as the life left them behind together. Shepard held the back of Tali's head as he nodded sadly, "I was...I was hoping that I would get to live a normal life…"

"With a _house…_" she added in a daze, "And a _family_...there were so many things I wanted to do…"

Shepard was now shaking as he sobbed dryly. Tears were unable to fall but he mumbled around his bloody mouth as memories of what could have been disappeared from his mind's eye. A future, a life, _gone_. Never to be. Only the inevitability of the unknown awaiting him.

Tali made a few soft sounds to soothe him, before she raised her trembling hands and depressed the catches on her visor. Slowly pulling it off, Shepard saw her wide eyes lower in happiness and her mouth tilt upward in a smile tinged by pain, disregarding the fact that all she saw was a silver skull staring right at her. Blood was streaked across her face and he tenderly wiped most of the blood away, clearing her beautiful face from any more imperfections as she let out a deep breath.

"Please don't cry, John," she whispered, even though she sounded close to tears herself. "It's...it's over, we won. We can go now…"

"I don't…" he stammered, "I don't want to go. I don't want to _leave you… _I love you...Tali..."

"I love you too," she assured, her stained teeth glinting in her weak smile. "And I won't be leaving you. We will...we will go on together...and we _will _find each other again."

"H-How?"

She merely placed a hand over his torso, just above his erratically beating heart. She looked up through her shining eyes, "Same whole. We will find a way."

"Tali," he grasped desperately at her hands, "_Please…_"

Her head was slowly falling backward in his grip, her eyes trailing upwards. Fearful, he moaned as he clutched at her but her eyelids closed as her chest was rising and falling in slower intervals. "Whenever you're ready," she said as quiet as possible, _"I'll be waiting...my love."_

And with a final breath, she was gone.

"Tali?" he said in shock, shaking her shoulder a bit. "Tali?" He placed a hand over her cheek, trying to coax her back, his willpower failing. "_Tali!_" Everything started to shake for him as keened over her body, giving a low wail as he laid his head over her chest.

Shepard clutched Tali's body as he rocked back and forth, moaning as his loved one left him, his destiny still reaching for his soul. The cyborg gave a powerful cry to the heavens, roaring his love and loss out loud as he yearned for her, begged for her.

"Oh dear god, no…_Tali_…"

A shuddering cough interrupted him as he broke down, his hacks intermingled with his sobs. One such convulsion spit up such a large glob of blood that he slumped down, unable to continue any longer.

Still holding onto Tali, he peered to the side at the beautiful view of the planet Earth. It was quite a sight, to see his home planet in such a way that left little to the imagination. To see it hovering like a jewel in front of him, a shining beacon that paved the way.

To the side, the burnt orange glow was becoming deeper as red electricity was starting to arc all over the place. Shepard could feel some parts of his body start to fizzle as the static washed over him. Weakness overcoming him, he attempted to lift an arm but the impulse went nowhere as his vision drooped. His breath was catching painfully in his chest, it hurt to inhale. He could feel the last inches of blackness creeping up on him, not a foreign chill brought on by the Reapers, but a comforting blanket, wrapping around him as his vision started to fade out.

Looking down, he stroked Tali's cheek one last time. "I will find you," he whispered. "I promise you that I _will _find you."

The black was starting to grow red but Shepard met it all the same. There was an enormous tug and a screaming sound as the energy surged out of the station, screaming away as it engulfed the raging battle beyond. Something grasped at him and he gasped, sinking into the fall that accompanied as his vision blinked out.

He felt himself floating, just suspended for a brief minute before a force caused him to rise. Flying into the dark, he felt his pain and fear evaporate as his body started to tingle all over. The sensation was quite pleasant and he sighed as he felt the touch upon him.

A tiny light, like a star, was hovering in front of him. He could not see his limbs through the thick black but he reached for it all the same. The dot grew wider and brighter until it became blinding, the heat increasing but never becoming unbearable. Surrounding him in a sphere, the white _became _him as he was whisked off into something more.

Moving past the dark, he embraced the light as it took a familiar form, melding itself to his touch. Feeling the warmth flow into him, Shepard breathed out in relief, all of his pain vanishing.

His heart rising, he gazed upward, eagerly anticipating his destination wherever it might be.


	36. Epilogue: Soulmates (Part III End)

The first thing he could hear was the chirping of birds, a sweet and haunting song that whispered throughout the land, flitting into him.

A faint wisp of wind passed over his face, making his nose itch. He twitched it in response, feeling the urge to sneeze. Sunlight was also streaming down through his eyelids, being blocked by the occasional shadow, throwing him into a few seconds of relief.

He inhaled, the first breath passing through as if he drunk deeply from it. The salty scent mixed with rich vegetation was rather comforting to him. It recalled old memories of a place that he wanted to see again, but he could not remember where it was.

His chest depressed, pushing the breath out of him as he started anew, the wonderful taste on his tongue. Now he could feel something start to tickle him on his neck, tiny little brushes that caressed his skin so slightly that he reached over to scratch it.

Finally opening his eyes, Shepard blinked as the light filtered down to him, causing him to squint. Trees of all shapes and sizes hung over him, creating a green canopy that allowed the light to fall on his face ever so gradually. Groaning and wanting to get the light out of his eyes, he sat up, hands planted on the blades of grass that had served as his bed.

He did not recognize this place, he realized as he gradually stood. He was in the middle of some forest, trees covering every direction in sight. The earthy smell of soil now joined in, the familiar stimulus causing him to breathe in deeper, entranced by the intense scents compared to the stale ones he recalled while he was encased in a helmet. Without a covering, all of the delightful smells of the land came to him, surrounding him in an intoxicating whirl.

The temperature was rather cool, low sixties, but he felt just right as he realized he was wearing the appropriate clothing, a set of casual shoes, dark pants, a shirt, and a light jacket. He did not feel a chill or break out into a sweat at all, he realized. He shuffled his arms, feeling the fabric ruffle from the movement. Quite a comfortable feeling.

Shepard threw up a hand to protect him from the glare but stopped as a flash of pink came from down below. Putting his hand in front of his face, he gasped as the fleshy palm was revealed to him, bright in the streaming light. Immediately, he smoothed his hands over his face and was rewarded when a soft, yielding surface was discovered, followed by a sensitive surface beneath. It wasn't just his skin, it was _everything_.

Not only that, there was something weird about himself, a sensation that he had not felt in a long time. Gripping his hands together, he gently squeezed his right hand with his left and could only stare as the bones beneath shifted to accommodate the rising pressure. The bones shifted _beneath_.

He said nothing as he reflected the improbability of this outcome, numbly prodding his body so that he was sure that this was not some fluke. Judging by how he could feel the roll of his shoulder again, his ribs yielding when he applied slight force on them, and the fact that he could move his jaw from side to side again told him everything he needed to know.

He was _whole_ again.

Shepard felt like jumping for joy and crying out in jubilation but he was still too stunned to form a coherent thought at the moment. Calming down as he slowed his erratic breathing, he closed his eyes as he felt them itch slightly as a bit of pollen got caught in them. He rubbed them, savoring the temporary relief he felt from doing so, but it further cemented his incredible discovery. The hows or whys could not be fathomed here, there were too many variables to isolate and determine for him to focus on.

He decelerated his racing thoughts, focusing on one thing at a time. Perhaps the first thing that he should find out was where he was at the moment. The damp forest he was still standing in looked like an average rain forest, to his eyes. He could be on Earth, on Sur'Kesh, or any other planet that boasted a climate perfect for this sort of biome. Situated in this one location was not going to get him very far with his analysis.

If he looked hard enough, he could see that the forest ahead of him gradually ended, as evidenced by the presence of more illumination past the dank shadows. Feeling eagerness and a sense of adventure, he smiled and proceeded to walk forward, looking down occasionally so he did not trip on any roots in his way. Shepard gingerly parted branches of trees out of his way as the light grew closer, the alarmed squeaks of fauna sounding as he intruded upon their territory. Up ahead, he could hear the faint sound of water rushing, a stream perhaps? Water meant life and life meant civilization so that was going to be his best bet right there.

Without warning, Shepard stepped out of the forest as it abruptly ended, depositing him on a dusty path, inches from a steep drop off. He then realized that he was standing on top of a cliff face, looking down upon a roaring river as the water surged over boulders, creating thick white foam. The whitewater splashed down the canyon to which it was situated and Shepard followed the flow with his head. Just a few miles downriver, he could see the mouth open wide into a large bay, nestled through a series of high cliffs.

Now that his view to the heavens was unobstructed, he could see the stars twinkling above, despite the fact that it was still sunny. The sky was a burnt orange and if he looked to the horizon, there was a faint glimmer of purple. It must be morning, wherever he was, judging by the position of the sun in the sky.

He glanced in the other direction, looking behind at the downward sloping path. There was nothing in that direction except scattered forests and a dry terrain. The path was uphill if he was going to head over to the bay and he reasoned that he would have a better chance at finding someone if he followed it that way. Paths existed for a reason, after all. Surely this one had to lead somewhere. Besides, a bay would most likely contain a port as a rapid was a poor location to base a town on.

Full of energy, he broke off at a brisk walk, heading up the path. The actual trail was wide and covered with small stones, not exactly a challenge for someone in his shape. Besides, it had been a long time since he felt his joints stretch like this, it would be ideal for him to get some exercise again. He put his hands in his pockets, humming a slight tune as a slight wind blew over his face. That felt good, it helped keep him cool as he walked.

A few times, he would pause to glance down at the river below, entranced by the furious surge of water as it pulverized everything in its path. He had not felt this peaceful in years, when was the last time he had taken a walk and just enjoyed nature? It must have been months, or years. He had lost track of all time entirely at this point.

Half an hour later, Shepard rounded a slight bend in the path and gave a wide grin as the huge bay was revealed to him. He could hear the waves lapping at the shore and the other side was clearly visible without a smog covering masking his field of view. The smell of the sea was more intense here and he stretched his arms until something caught his eye, causing him to turn to the right slightly.

Just up a small hill, nestled next to a cliff wall, lay a modest house. It was a delicate fusion of rock and metal in its construction, a traditional flair with a bit of modern thrown in. Square windows adorned its face, allowing its occupants a wide view of the bay beyond. A winding path led upward to the front door, a porch jutting out which allowed the owners a perfect view to watch the sun set over the water. He had to concede that the house was in a prime location, definitely a place he would want someday. Giving a quick shrug, he followed the walk upwards to the door and rapped firmly upon the face.

He waited a minute before giving up. No one was home. Although, he noticed, a large door lay open to the side of the house. Perhaps he just was not heard? Shepard figured that it didn't hurt to investigate a bit so he wandered over to the side and walked in, peering cautiously around.

The garage was well maintained and precise, but still no one was inside. A skycar was situated to the right of the room while a large desk was set up on the left. Mechanical parts of all shapes and sizes lay on a cloth to catch the excess grease and Shepard walked over to look a bit more. He stepped over a chest of tools, spying a wall beyond that contained every single sort of apparatus he could imagine possible. Clearly whoever kept this had a love for engineering.

On the desk itself, situated underneath a lamp, Shepard recognized the telltale blue glow of a skycar transmission manifold. From the looks of it, the part had been heavily tinkered with, a few extra bits and pieces added to improve its performance slightly. And next to it, positioned just so, lay a Predator pistol, taken completely apart as a few custom components were arranged beside it. A person of many interests, so it seemed.

Not wanting to linger any more, fearful that someone would think him for a burgler, Shepard gave the garage a final look before stomping back out into the sunlight. Blinking in discomfort, he yawned and stretched his back as he adjusted to his vertebrae cracking in place.

Shepard had no idea when the homeowners would get back and he did not really want to steal the skycar if he could help it. He required a need to go somewhere for him to sink to that level, but he really felt like he was not pressured to go anywhere. He was fine like this, content and peaceful. He had no burning desire to actually fly away and go to some other planet. Hell, he still didn't even know what planet he was on to begin with.

But these were answers that he was in no hurry to seek. Why rush at all when he was feeling like this? It seemed to make sense to him, giving a mental shrug. There was a small outcropping on the cliff just a short walk away, he could wait there for a bit and simply enjoy the view while it lasted.

Walking past the dense bushes, he stood upon the edge of the cliff, hands in his pockets, breathing deep as he surveyed the sight before him. The bay stretched on, majestic and bright, as the gentle roar of the waves came to his ears. It was a soothing sound, it even made him a little sleepy. The puffy clouds in the sky blew lazily away and the birds sang their music all around him.

The feeling to be able to be out in the open like this, his joints all stretched and loose, gave him a peace he wrapped around like a cloak. Just standing here, out over the water, all alone with his thoughts, made him feel cleansed, pure.

So far, the house behind him was the only evidence of civilization that he had been able to find. Shepard did not want to dwell on it much; he had not even covered that much ground during his brief walk. But even now, as he gazed over the bay, there was not much evidence of other life in this area, no cities situated at the shore, no ships flying overhead. Just this one little house, an island in an ocean of paradise.

Shepard frowned as he tried to recall if he had ever been here before, feeling a sense of incredible déjà vu. It certainly was not Earth, it was too mountainous to be Sur'Kesh, not developed enough to be Thessia and so on. In fact, there was only one place that had cliffs like this, a bay this big, and a sky this incredible. Could it be that…

A shuffling sound behind him snapped him from his thoughts, causing him to turn around expectedly, maybe thinking that a tiny animal had scurried out from the brush. His gaze, he figured instantly, was way too low as he only caught a pair of legs as they walked toward him. But it was something about those legs that registered instantly with him, making his breath catch uncomfortably in his throat as he tilted his head upward, his eyes unconsciously widening as the person came into view.

Their hands were wrung together, their clothing meticulously placed, their body language somewhat anxious. But they both recognized each other in that one instant.

It was _her_.

Tali slowly walked toward the astonished Shepard, eyes glowing behind her visor, her small steps leaving tiny imprints in the dirt. Unknotting her hands, they gradually reached out to the human as he felt himself doing the same. With a brushing of skin on an enviro-suit, their hands united in a warm union, each grasping the other tightly.

They stood there for long minutes, each staring at the other as their fingers desperately clung together. Shepard's breathing became heavy again as he tried to make sense of this. How was this even possible? Tali, on the other hand, did not seem fazed in the slightest as she slowly shifted her body towards him, her visor definitely hiding a smile behind that purple filter.

Her arms reached up and wrapped over his neck as he clung to her waist, their chests pressing together. Her hand gently stroked the back of his head as he did the same, patting the back of her hood as the embrace released all sorts of memories, overloading him with powerful emotions.

Rising on her toes, Tali leaned up and positioned her head next to his ear. As she breathed four simple words, Shepard froze in time, everything else being instantly drowned out.

"_I've missed you, John."_

The tears finally came, breaking loose like floodwater from a dam. They spilled past his cheeks as he started to sob. A few of them trailed past his lips, the salty taste evoking a sense of life, of his own flesh and blood. Quickly, they dripped down his face as he soon found himself wracked with sorrow, with love, with every conceivable emotion possible.

His legs felt rubbery and he stumbled but Tali caught him, gently lowering themselves to the ground. Once their knees hit dirt, she threw her arms around his torso as she nestled her head in his neck. In the middle of his tears, he could feel her body shudder slightly as he realized that she was crying too. Both of them sat like this until Shepard regained some control of his limbs and hugged Tali with all of his might, embracing her with such a might he feared his heart might burst from the strain.

Raising her head up, she gently leaned the top of her visor against his forehead as they came face to face. Her hands cupped his cheeks, her thumbs smoothing across them and wiping away the trails of tears that ran down in rivulets. Breathing raggedly, he forced his mouth into an awkward smile as she gave a choked sob in happiness. Mimicking her movements, his hands rose to hold her head in the same position, smoothing over the brushed metal and hearing her sighs as he moved his fingers towards the correct place.

As the catches depressed, the visor was discarded, and everything became perfect in their own little world. If their lives were truly meant to be intertwined, then it certainly counted for something.

* * *

**The Rage Inherent Trilogy**


	37. Author's Notes: Inferno

Two and a half months, 200,000+ words, and 60+ reviews. Quite frankly, I'm stunned I managed to get this story out in such a small amount of time, comparatively speaking. It wasn't an easy slog, let me tell you. Over the course of writing this thing, I've damn near burned myself out in trying to make every chapter as perfect as I could manage (still doesn't mean that the chapters are any _good_, mind you).

In any case, it's weird knowing that I have this story finished and now I have nothing left to write. Perhaps that might be a good thing, with what all of the people I've pissed off in the past few months and everything.

Oh well, you can't please everyone.

At the very least, I do hope that you did enjoy this story to some extent as I know that some of the decisions I've made were very…controversial, for lack of a better word. I had a lot of fun writing this thing and I really wanted to share this little tidbit that grew into an itch in my head. Guess writing about it was the only way that I could really scratch that itch.

However, I must take an aside and issue an apology in terms of what I did with the so-called "original concept" that was the basis of the story. Yes, having Shepard become a mechanical droid was something that I haven't seen much of in any fics before and I think that I nailed the overall tone in the first part of this trilogy, not doing my cockiness any favors there.

The only problem was…I kinda forgot about it in the other two parts.

I did mention that I wanted to understate that aspect slightly as I had run out of ideas to portray robot Shepard without being horribly blunt or obvious, so that decision was made knowingly. Unfortunately, once I had done that, I failed to realize in time that some of the magic was gone, that this was just another Shepard x Tali pairing story that followed the mold of the games. Believe me, if any of you were disappointed in that aspect, no one was more disappointed than me.

I mean, here was the one thing that made this story stand out (still doesn't mean that this was a _good_ story, this isn't self-congratulation here) and I've gone and stuffed it. Hopefully, in the future, I would love to see someone else take a crack at the concept and see what ideas they can come up with that I could not. Maybe then, I could feel some sense of closure.

Or maybe I'm just rambling.

* * *

**Prologue:**

I do like writing descriptive dialogue that sets up the stage for the next installments. It offers me to get a crack at doing actual research for the Mass Effect universe so that I can put these concepts on paper. It's better than doing just bland dialogue back and forth for a whole chapter, you have to have something to break the monotony of it all.

Like so, I relish the chance to write fluff between Shepard and Tali, even if these exchanges are the hardest to write for me. It's a multitude of factors that can mean the difference between a realistic and romantic setup versus plain cheese. And the dialogue has to be not corny at all if you want to hook your audience into thinking this is a believable relationship.

That's not to say that I have necessarily done that. I'm a poor judge in this regard.

Playlist:

Opening: "Agnus Dei" by Elliot Goldenthal from the film _Alien 3. _A choral opening depicting the looming arrival of the Reapers upon Earth.

Titles: "God Particle" by Hans Zimmer from the film _Angels and Demons. _More choir in epic format denoting the higher stakes for this part.

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

One condition that I had when writing this story is that, aside from a few choice lines, no dialogue was to be taken from the actual games themselves. This was to make the entire experience seem fresh, as though the audience's expectations were going to be turned on their heads.

Of course, that doesn't mean that I had to write out every single nook and cranny verbatim. I made sure to streamline the chapters so that I wouldn't waste time detailing a skirmish that wasn't interesting on a mission that I didn't care about. It's like editing a movie, you keep the parts that are important.

And on another note, I'm actually really dismayed at how many times I've had Shepard strongly swear. It's not really a trait that I intended for him to possess as I only wanted him to use such colorful language when he was truly upset. Guess those moments were more than I initially figured, so I have to apologize for that OOC trait, a big _mea culpa_ if I ever saw one.

Playlist:

Vancouver Invaded: "Space Suicide" by David Buckley from the VG _Call of Duty: Ghosts. _Rising chords to symbolize the rising dread as Earth falls.

Vancouver Evacuated (Shepard's Theme): "Honor to the End" by Steve Jablonsky from the film_ Transformers: Age of Extinction_. Disregarding the annoying Imagine Dragons lyrics, this piece maintains a bold wall of sound that emphasizes Shepard's heroic nature and fierce power.

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

In what would have normally been a dull chapter, I took the opportunity to foreshadow the arrival of Rukin, Shepard's nemesis. Trust me, I realized a long time ago that robot Shepard is damn near indestructible which doesn't make for very exciting reading. That was one of the few reasons why I "neutered" him in later installments, but it also gave me an idea.

What if Shepard were to face someone his exact equal?

I didn't want to put Kai Leng in a robot body because…well, he's obviously dead, and I didn't quite say straight out that Rukin had died on the _Rayya_ in part one so I revived the character (which was all part of my initial plan) to serve the purpose as the Illusive Man's newest right hand man.

Of course, there were elements to this character that hadn't been revealed to the audience yet so I made sure to keep things ambiguous for the time being as he was part of a few twists that I had lined up. I may have finally cracked the curse of creating villains that I like as this version of Rukin was one nasty bastard. In the end, you had every reason to hate him.

And for the most part, the rest of the chapter followed the Mars mission as it was in the game. I put the whole EDI taking over Core thing in the story because there was not going to be an opportunity for that to happen in a timely manner as detailed by my outline. But…I think that I made it work. I think.

Playlist:

Red Planet: "I'm an Autobot" by Steve Jablonsky from the film _Transformers: Age of Extinction_. This piece provides the necessary synth dread to accompany a new and desolate planet.

Core Deleted: "The Crane" by Alan Silvestri from the film _The Abyss_. Fast paced winds and strings for a chase/fight.

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

Out of all the chapters in this part, I hate this one the most.

I hate it because I was unable to do anything good with it. I completely blanked on how to make this mission unique as dictated by the terms in my story. Sure, I threw some extra dialogues in there, I did a bit more foreshadowing with regards to Rukin and the Scorpion pistols but…nothing really _clicked_ for me.

Maybe it was because I wanted to concentrate on the Shepard+Tali aspect of the whole flippin' story and was rushing to get to that bit. It didn't detract from the story but it didn't add anything new, either.

If I had done a little more consideration with regards to the story structure, I probably would have just cut it out.

Playlist:

Protecting the Female: "Fog Battle" by Junkie XL from the film _300: Rise of an Empire_. I think that the raw guitar works to define Wrex well. The brutal pacing and ethnic vocals also make a good comparison to krogan culture as well.

Up the Shroud: "The Lane Family" by Marco Beltrami from the film _World War Z_. A more melancholy tune as a lament for Mordin.

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

I honestly thought someone would call out my usage of Tali dying in Shepard's dreams as foreshadowing to a certain event. Either they kept mum or they didn't want to believe it true (heh…heh…?)

In any case, the first twist regarding Rukin was shown here when he was wearing Shepard's face as a disguise. I specifically did that to confuse readers into thinking that the Shepard clone was going to be the new enemy in this story but I would eventually make _another_ twist out of that later on.

I like toying with the audience's expectations in trying not to make a predictable story and this chapter helped set me up for when the actual plot got a little meatier.

Plus, we had another brutal swordfight. I just can't say no to a personal action scene.

Playlist:

Hit Twice: "Operation Metro" by Johan Skugge and Jukka Rintamaki from the VG _Battlefield 3_. Harsh electronics accompany a fight between Shepard and Rukin's first encounter.

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

It was a relief when I finally got to write Tali back into the story. I had labored upon if I should include brief asides to her point of view for a couple chapters but eventually decided against that. I wanted to simulate the loss Shepard was feeling to the reader by intentionally removing Tali from the story for a bit until the opportune moment.

Plus, we get more fluff out of a romantically charged encounter like that. I will say that it's much easier to write dialogue for an already pledged couple than for two people who are flirting. Don't ask why, I just feel that way.

On another note, I had received several reviews questioning me ruthlessly about me "forgetting" to put Legion in this story. I didn't forget him at all, I just felt that his presence in part two would needlessly drag out the story when the actual quarian/geth conflict is really touched upon in the third part. Here, the character would come more into play and be more relevant to the overall story instead of having a token geth sidekick around.

…And then I would kill him off in the next chapter. Timing is everything, right?

Playlist:

Dreadnought: "Synchrotone" by Hans Zimmer from the film _Black Hawk Down_. Fast paced action mixed with a synthetic and experimental edge. Perfect for a geth fight.

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

I quite like the first scene where you would think it would be obvious that the actual reasoning behind the Morning War would be shown to the quarian admirals. It would have done a hell of a lot more in the games for making Shepard's life easier with regards to choosing between the geth and the quarians.

But Gerrel still manages to find a way to screw everything up, nonetheless, but the actions preceding it I thought were AU enough to be different and exciting.

The battle with the Reaper on foot came from an idea I saw posted on some message board a few years back that I simply expanded upon. We all know that inside every Reaper is their core and that every core is the shape of the species it had accumulated at the end of each cycle.

I just felt that Bioware missed a perfect opportunity with the potential imagery that could have come from such a fight and wanted to make sure that it got its due here. Hopefully my writing wasn't so dense that it scared people off.

In a way, considering the evidence presented, Shepard's promise to stay with Tali forever at the end of the chapter was my way of constituting a marriage proposal. In many fics, even in one of my previous ones, I've never been too happy with how Shepard presents the idea of marriage to Tali before. Many people, including me, have never seemed to get it right (based on the few that I've read so don't count me as an expert on the subject) so it occurred to me that the only way to introduce it was to not say it outright. That way, the scene was less cheesier and more believable in contrast to getting on a knee and popping the question after a huge firefight.

Like I said before, people. All about timing.

Playlist:

Reaper Afoot: "Stahl Arms – The Icesaw Chase" by Joris de Man from the VG _Killzone 3_.

Shepard/Gerrel & Tali/Xen: "Cave" by Tuomas Kantelinen from the film _The Legend of Hercules_. A sweeping fight theme for drama.

Home: "Final Confluence" by Austin Wintory from the VG _Journey_. This scene needs a romantically inclined piece, obviously.

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

Surprisingly, this was one of my favorite chapters to write out of the entire story. I just liked writing casual banter between friends as I take inspiration from conversations me and my friends have. We constantly joke around, rib each other, and act all goofy when we're out in public so I tried to reflect that in my writing.

I also wanted to write a dinner scene where I could throw in a few references and have them bounce around. All in all, it put a smile on my face when I got to describing how Garrus gets tormented by Liara and how Shepard and Tali act like a cute couple while they're out together.

Besides, I needed a break from writing action anyway.

Playlist:

A New Development: "Bonzo" by Steve Jablonsky from the film _Ender's Game_.

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

I believe this chapter was where I started to lose members of my audience.

It wasn't so much the reveal of Rukin as the big baddie all along that shocked people, it was more or less the death of Liara that cemented a sour mood for the remainder of the story. I really can't blame people for being utterly horrified that I would kill off a beloved character such as Liara (if you read this far then you know I pushed that boundary even further) but I felt like a mainstay had to die in order to telegraph to the reader that nothing is as expected in this story.

So, yeah. If you were offended by my choices, I can't say that I blame you at all.

Sure, channeling my inner George R. R. Martin was one thing but I maintain that Liara's death fit in with the overall tone of the story, and of Mass Effect 3 itself. The overarching theme is that war causes people to make sacrifices big and small. People will die and a "perfect" ending is practically impossible from a realistic standpoint. Her death was meant to accentuate that fact and I wanted it done in a way that didn't feel insulting to the character and was rather touching instead of just glossing over it carelessly.

Plus, that gave Rukin the extra grit for the audience to establish him as a more competent bad guy than Kai Leng ever was. Plus, he soundly kicked Shepard's ass in that fight if Liara hadn't interfered. Trust me, it wasn't a decision made lightly on my part and it certainly wasn't done for any reasons that might be considered petty. All part of moving the story forward.

Playlist:

War on Thessia: "Future Wars" by Jack Wall from the VG _Call of Duty: Black Ops II_. Hard electronics for a brutal battle.

Pieces of a Puzzle: "I'm Goblin" by Hans Zimmer from the film _The Amazing Spider-Man 2_. I like this theme that it creates an atmosphere of tension and dread while maintaining a sinister outlook. A good theme to fit Rukin.

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

So we have our bit of fluff plus another love scene. For a story of this size, it seems like two love scenes (I refuse to call them "lemons") is the magic number. If they're spaced out properly, the overall characterization is not weakened and you have a stronger bond between the two love interests.

Take the one in this chapter for example. It's not terribly explicit (very tame compared to some others on this site…yeesh), it has an emotional aspect to it rather than just physical, and it is a little more raw with the stakes driven into their actions, a little more realistic in a sense.

For that scene, I went by my same principles as I did with the last one. Come to think of it, fellow reader lunchmeat5000 summarized the problem with most scenes like this perfectly: "…the stories that go into intricate detail of the quarian female body, or turn Tali into a raging nymphomaniac, cheapens the character and doesn't add anything…"

That being said, there are audiences that don't care about the little nagging grievances such as delivering highly explicit sex scenes. They serve their purpose on this site and we can't ignore their existence. But what I'd like to see several more authors do is apply a lighter touch, let the audience's imagination do the work for them.

Well like, that's just my opinion, man.

Playlist:

Same Whole: "Aningaaq" by Steven Price from the film _Gravity_. I feel like this softer and more atmospheric piece would accompany the love scene well. But as with all of my supposed "recommendations" you can simply take them with a grain of salt.

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

No one has good memories of the final London mission so I wanted to reintroduce the Mako and provide a slight bit of levity because I knew that things would take a turn for the exceedingly dark very, very soon.

I mean…I kind of _liked_ the Mako back in the first Mass Effect game so I wanted to utilize it here and not make the mission a boring slog through the similar looking streets of London. No one seemed particularly torn up about the changes so I'm content with that.

I had a feeling that no one would call me out for killing off James like that and I was right. Despite his character being not as bad as most of us initially predicted, he still didn't have enough of our love to warrant an extreme attachment to him in the end. Therefore, he got the axe in my story, but in a heroic fashion, no less.

Killing Garrus, on the other hand…that was tough to write. He's my bro and all so I didn't want his death scene to feel particularly forced like a "Jonathan Kent." Hell, I would have preferred to not kill him at all.

But it really does stand to reason that a conflict on a scale like this should have telegraphed the fact that a happy ending might just not be attainable anymore. That the Reapers had the muscle to back up their words by taking away every person that mattered to Shepard, slowly driving him insane with grief until he snapped.

Because, in all honesty, I really don't feel like Shepard sacrificed _enough_ in Mass Effect 3. Sure, a near-perfect runthrough would almost certainly have you losing Mordin and Legion but they were characters that you only met in the previous installment. The deaths of major characters like Liara and Garrus, people that you have known over the course of all three games, added to the mix really should have been possible given Shepard's attachment to them. It would have been interesting to have seen his grief portrayed on screen like that.

Or perhaps I'm just a soulless jerk.

Playlist:

Mako: "Dinobot Charge" by Steve Jablonsky from the film _Transformers: Age of Extinction_. An epic buildup to the beam is just what we need to heighten the excitement.

Lament for Garrus: "Godzilla's Victory" by Alexandre Desplat from the film _Godzilla_.

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

Yikes, I knew the backlash was going to be bad. I didn't realize it was going to be _this_ bad.

Despite the inflow of reviews from people saying that they couldn't read the story anymore once they got to, well…_that_ part, I couldn't really do anything except chuckle to myself. I guess I had finally done it, I had pissed off damn near everyone who fell behind pretty much every popular romanceable option in the Mass Effect universe, even the freaking _Talimancers_. That isn't an achievement I'm proud of as this was a plot point that I've had in mind since the beginning and a concept I've wanted to put into words for a long time.

If you think about it, there have been way too many stories out there focused on delivering the "perfect" ending in which everyone survives, Shepard gets married, yadda yadda yadda. That's all well and good but that lead to an unfortunate problem for me.

I had already written my version of a perfect ending in a previous story.

So, that eliminated my attempt at trying to top my work when I was so sure that the story in question had been virtually bulletproof in terms of delivering the ending everyone wanted. Thus, I had to consider alternate options.

Hell, I even foreshadowed this event mercilessly as it was nearing with the visions and the theme of loss surrounding Shepard. I really tried to soften the blow as best as I could for you guys but it appeared to drop jaws a lot farther than I intended. If I truly and deeply horrified you, I apologize but that was kind of the angle I was going for. I didn't want to revert to cliché again and I did state that I wanted to try an ending different than I've laid eyes on before. This is what I meant.

I feel that this act, despicable though it might be, fits the tone of the story perfectly. The point of The Rage Inherent Trilogy is dealing with one's own mortality, examining what it truly means to live in a life of which you have no control over some aspects. You cannot fully control what happens in a war, nothing ever goes as planned. People will get hurt, people will get killed. This was never going to end with everything being all hunky-dory. It was going to have a dark ending from the very beginning, but I'll be damned if I didn't leave a shred of hope underneath it all.

An aspect of what I hated with Bioware's endings is that Shepard's LI never gets a chance to meet up with him again (that we see) as he's either dead or still buried under a few tons of rubble. Completely botched, if you ask me. So, if Tali was going to die in this story, then that meant that Shepard had to die as well. Like it's mentioned, wherever they go, they will always be together.

This, of course, led to me writing a final fight with Rukin, utilizing a few over-the-top moves in the process but I wanted to emphasize the brutality of it all, the rage that Shepard embraces at the last moment to overpower his foe and mercilessly dismember and finally disembowel him for maximum satisfaction. Having Rukin be the one to actually kill Shepard gives him more credibility as a villain, the one man who took the commander down, even though he never lived to tell the tale.

I don't regret what I did in this chapter. I took a chance and I'm going to stick with any potential consequences, even if that means any form of disdain from my readers. I'm not going to attack anyone for "failing to understand the meaning" because that's just terribly pretentious, plus I might have written it in a fashion that is all terribly dense that the meaning is not apparent enough. It all boils down to if you liked it or if you didn't like it. Simple as that. I'll respect the conclusions that people draw upon this but I feel that my actions were well justified in this case.

But man…I haven't been attacked like this since I was accused of having an anti-Christian slant in another one of my stories. (I still don't know how that conclusion was drawn!)

Playlist:

The Four of Us: "Arm & Eye Surgery" by Brad Fiedel from the film _The Terminator_.

A Rage Inherent: "Hunted" by Steve Jablonsky from the _Transformers: Age of Extinction EP_. I think that the brutal pounding of drums and strings gives it that manic edge that we finally see from Shepard in the end.

The Two of Us: "A Small Measure of Peace" by Hans Zimmer from the film _The Last Samurai_.

* * *

**Epilogue**:

If you thought I was going to end it with both Shepard and Tali lying stone dead on the Citadel, then I just have to say that that would have been a terrible idea.

Writing this one short chapter turned the mood of the ending to be more bittersweet, in my opinion. It probably won't save this story for many people but I just wanted to put in an aside to the readers and say that, "Hey, everything's all right."

I have my own interpretation for how this chapter can be considered as I left many things open ended. I will say that there's no right or wrong way to how one tries to determine the meaning of this as we all perceive things differently. In the end, it doesn't matter all that much.

Plus, if you consider the mere fact that Shepard and Tali can meet again, then wouldn't that mean that Shepard can now share a drink at that bar with Garrus? Naaaah, that sounds silly… (hmmmm….)

Playlist:

Unmasked: "To the Forest…" by James Horner from the film _Apocalypto_. Take a listen and tell me that this doesn't fit the mood perfectly.

The Rage Inherent End Titles: "Navras" by Don Davis/Juno Reactor from the film _The Matrix Revolutions_.

* * *

With that being said, I do hope that you enjoyed some aspect of this story, radical changes and what not. It was certainly an enjoyable experience getting to write for you all and stretching my brain on what to put down on paper.

If you have a favorite chapter or anything on your mind, please drop a review. If you have any questions about this story, feel free to PM me. I always respond in a timely manner for PMs, reviews not so much unless they deliberately ask me a question. Hell, if you have multiple things on my mind, you can even request to IM me and we can set something up. I always like conversing with people who have things to point out about my stories and chatting with them is a very beneficial experience, so don't be too shy if you have a nagging tidbit that you want to share.

If I were to take a guess for the long run, then I would have to say that The Rage Inherent Trilogy is likely to be my largest story that I ever will write because I will now languish myself to a temporary retirement as my schedule starts to tighten. I'm not sure when I'll get to writing for the Mass Effect series or even writing at all as I have been quite thoroughly burned out from producing this story. I just don't have the energy in me to start typing away anymore, but I'll still be around in some format. I hear they're always looking out for new beta readers…

To all future authors out there, good luck to you, and to all my readers, thank you for following this story right down to the end. I wouldn't have put in the effort if you had not kept reading this, so I have to extend to you my gratitude for your very important involvement.

Before I end up pissing more people off, I bid you all a fond farewell and a _Keelah se'lai_!

-_Thanks again from Rob Sears_


End file.
